Horizon needed a scalable design system to ensure consistency across its growing suite of digital products. The aim was to unify design elements while maintaining flexibility for future expansion.
We audited existing interfaces, defined core design principles, and developed reusable components that streamlined the design and development process. The challenge was creating a system that could adapt to evolving needs.
Discovery
The Approach
I facilitated a three-day workshop with Development, Product Management, and SMEs to define our vision. Through journey mapping and user research, we identified our core challenge: How might we enable users to create and visualize voice agents without compromising performance or overcomplicating the experience?
Our competitive analysis of Siri, ChatGPT Voice, and Perplexity inspired our approach to visualizing voice and managing interaction states. I established five design principles to guide our work: Consistency, Simplicity, Fluidity, Implementation, and Futurism.
The Breakthrough
Through rapid iteration informed by 10+ customer interviews, my team & I explored multiple visualization approaches—waveforms, abstract shapes, and pills. The breakthrough came through collaboration and direct customer feedback, which confirmed that an orb visualization aligned with user expectations while meeting performance requirements. Customers found it organic and approachable, less mechanical than waveforms.
One of my proudest achievements: I worked with engineering to identify Three.js as our implementation solution. This React Library gave us the performance we needed while maintaining visual quality, unblocking the Front-End team completely.
Building a unified design system
We developed a modular design system with reusable components to streamline collaboration between designers and developers. This approach established a cohesive visual language across all of Horizon’s products.
Enabling growth and consistency
The new system reduced design inconsistencies, sped up product releases, and provided a scalable framework to support Horizon’s long-term growth and innovation.
