Autodesk Fusion: Achieving Device Independence
COMING SOON: Leading the UX Design for Autodesk Fusion’s Transition from Desktop-Only to a Seamless Cross-Platform Experience
The Journey to Device Independence
BEFORE:
Desktop-Only Experience
The original Autodesk Fusion was designed exclusively for desktop environments, with a complex interface optimized for mouse and keyboard interactions. While powerful, its dense UI and specialized controls limited accessibility and confined users to traditional workstations.
AFTER:
Device-Independent Experience
The reimagined Fusion experience features a responsive, adaptive interface that seamlessly scales across mobile, tablet, web, and desktop platforms. With thoughtful architecture and support for multiple input methods (touch, stylus, and mouse), giving Fusion a path to empower creators to design anywhere, on any device.
Project Overview
Autodesk Fusion is exclusively available as a desktop application for Mac and Windows. While the software provides robust functionality, its complex interface is optimized solely for mouse and keyboard interactions, limiting its usability across other devices. There was no established cross-platform strategy to extend its reach and move it onto every device.
The goal of this multiyear project was two fold:
- Redefine Fusion as a device-independent product with an experience that scales seamlessly across mobile, tablet, web, and desktop platforms.
- Lay the foundation for a cross-platform design system that could serve as a framework for future Autodesk products, accommodating diverse input methods such as touch, stylus, and mouse.
As the Lead Designer, I worked alongside two senior designers, to explore, test, and build cross-platform solutions. This initiative required close collaboration with all other UX design teams and cross-functional teams over several years to align on strategy, design principles, and technical feasibility.
