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Emoji Kitchen & GenAI
Role: Lead Interaction Designer & Strategy Lead
Timeline: 2023 – 2025
Team: Expression, Gemini, Pixel Studio, Labs
Impact: 1.5 Billion DAU
For years, "Expression" (Stickers, GIFs, Emojis) was a static consumption experience. However, two massive shifts have disrupted this model.
The "Emoji Kitchen" program grew to over 100,000 unique sticker combinations, breaking the existing "tap-to-mashup" interaction model. Users literally could not find the content.
New generative models (Gemini, Imagen) offered infinite creative potential, but integrating them into a real-time keyboard required solving complex latency, safety, and UX mental model challenges.
Solving Discovery
The existing interaction model relied on users guessing hidden combinations, so to surface the enormity of this library, I had to architect a new "Browse" experience that moved users from reactive discovery to proactive exploration.
I designed a dedicated "EK Browse" surface that supports high-density visual browsing, allowing users to navigate the massive corpus without overwhelming the keyboard interface.
Integrating Generative AI
The goal was to introduce creation tools into a consumption-first interface. I led the UX strategy for integrating GenAI models (Gemini Pro, T5) to power new Meme and Sticker generation features.
Finding the right balance between server-side power and on-device speed was critical to reducing churn during the creation process. Introducing "Creation" required a new interaction paradigm on top of the existing "Tap and Share" behavior.
Partnered with xPA teams (Pixel Studio, Labs) to define a unified UX narrative. We launched the Pixel Studio sticker generation tab in December '24 and validated the Meme Generation UX for a targeted I/O 2025 release.