Ansys AI+

Apr 2024 - Present

UX design

Strategic thinking

Visual design

Presentation

Figma

With the advancement of AI technologies and the business goal of expanding the customer base, several Ansys products began incorporating AI-driven features. I actively engaged in these initiatives, leading the development of forward-thinking concepts that extend beyond the day-to-day design work for Ansys Discovery. These visionary and future-driven AI projects were introduced to support the long-term product strategy and enhance Ansys's competitive edge.

Introducing proactive AI and passive AI and integrating AI in a more ambient, user-friendly way.

Featured Projects

01.3D-Scene Based AI Assistant

Problems

  • The commonly seen chatbot type of assistant can be cumbersome for users to navigate between 3D scenes and the chatbot interface

  • Scene based intelligence cannot be well addressed

Goals

  • To bring AI assistant to the next level for 3D software with seamlessness

  • To allow future emerging technology integration, including generative AI and mixed reality

What I did

  • Conducted research on cutting-edge technologies and conducted competitive analysis

  • Led the conceptual design end-to-end

Scene-based AI input box allowing command based on 3D models

Contextual intelligence guidance

Impact



Presented to the leadership team and was well received;
Reshaped the strategy of incorporating AI

02.Auto Fill/Fix

Problems

  • Users need to search for external resources when they have errors or missing values

  • Multiple trials not leading to success can be frustrating

Goals

  • To automate the fixing process for users as intelligent as possible

  • To integrate proactive AI in a more ambient way to gain users' trust on AI features

What I did

  • Led the conceptual design end-to-end

  • Worked with developers to validate the back-end support

Auto-generated value for missing material values (one example of auto fill/fix)

Impact



Presented in the company innovation meeting;
Sub-concept has been integrated into the upcoming release plan

03.AI Brand Strategy

Goals

  • To emphasize the power of AI and bring awareness of Ansys's effort toward cutting-edge technologies

  • To establish a standard for AI-relevant styling and user interface

What I did

  • Conducted research with multiple teams working on AI functionalities

  • Adovacated for AI branding across business units

  • Contributed to the development of an AI-focused sub-design system

Impact



Influenced interface changes across two product teams;
Raised awareness to the product leadership team about AI branding; Contributed to the organizational design language evolvement



Takeaways
  1. Explore beyond the domain

    While analyzing competitors within the same domain is a standard approach, looking outside it can spark transformative ideas. When researching novel AI approaches, I found inspiration from diverse fields beyond engineering, such as 3D creation tools, game engines, architectural and GIS software, and mixed reality applications. This cross-domain exploration introduced fresh perspectives that enriched my work, and the brand strategy initiative is also a cross-domain example leveraging my background in advertising.


  2. Reimagine AI

    While there is a trend developing human-like, chat-based AI assistants, there can be other AI approaches for our product. In the engineering field, where users prioritize accuracy and reliability, a more machine-like AI sometimes can build greater trust. While making AI highly visible can highlight product advancements, a more subtle integration might better align with users' existing mental models and workflow expectations. There can be multiple solutions.


© 2024 Zejun Wu

zejunwudesign@gmail.com