Project Snapshot
Led the design for block editing on WordPress mobile apps (iOS and Android), optimizing Gutenberg’s web-first experience for native mobile use. Shifted the product direction toward quick posting and inline editing — better aligned with how people actually use mobile platforms.
Problem & Opportunity
The Gutenberg mandate pushed for feature parity across platforms — all blocks available everywhere, regardless of user behavior. But mobile users weren’t designing full websites; they were posting on-the-go or quickly editing content. This misalignment created usability friction and feature overload.
My Role
Led design for mobile block editing. Worked across iOS and Android, partnered with a large and opinionated engineering team, and aligned with executive leadership. Grounded every design decision in real user data to challenge default assumptions and drive strategic change.
Key Activities & Process
- Analyzed usage data to uncover true mobile behaviors
- Conducted competitive audits and user interviews
- Prototyped and tested simplified block interactions
- Aligned stakeholders and navigated cross-org tensions
- Advocated for mobile-native UX within a web-centric team
Design Highlights
Block Picker & Discovery Sheet:
Redesigned how users find and insert blocks on mobile — balancing the full power of the editor with mobile-first patterns. These components supported all editing use cases while remaining lightweight and intuitive on small screens.
Impact
- Sparked a strategic shift within WordPress toward platform-specific design
- Changed the conversation from “feature parity” to “contextual optimization”
- Influenced long-term product thinking beyond mobile
What I Learned
Porting a design is easy. Shifting product direction based on real user behavior? That takes persistence, cross-team trust, and a whole lot of data.