Eric St. Onge

 

 

iWork '13

Apple's suite of productivity apps for OS X, iOS, and the web.

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Winter 2011 - Winter 2014

In-House

Apple

Pages, Keynote, Numbers

Interaction Designer & Prototyper

Summary

From the end of 2011 through early 2014, I worked as an interaction designer and prototyper in Apple's Productivity Apps group. The team is responsible for the design of all of Apple's productivity applications, including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for OS X, iOS, and the web. The team is also responsible for the design of the iBooks software.

My main role on the team was as an interaction designer and design prototyper. For most of the projects I worked on, I produced UX deliverables as any other interaction designer on the team. Some concepts, however, can't be easily communicated using a still image, slideshow, or even a movie. For those features, I would produce a native OS X or iOS application that provided a more interactive way of communicating an idea.

Unfortunately, some of the features that I have worked on and the process involved in designing those features is restricted due to confidentiality agreements. However, I have contributed to some of the features listed below.

Interactive Charts

I worked on some of the early prototypes and explorations for the interactive chart feature. Using the arrows, a user can switch between different sets of data on the same chart, with animations between the different sets.

Filtering

I designed the user interface for the filtering interface in Numbers. Quick Filters are available through menus and cells, so users can filter their data without having to switch modes or change their train of thought. (OS X only.)

For more complex filters, a dedicated rule-based interface is available. This interface lets users create complex boolean filters.

Pen Drawing

I worked on the pen drawing feature. This version of the application introduced a new spline-like curve drawing system that I worked on simplifying. Bezier curves are also available for users who are more comfortable with them.

Comments

The commenting feature provides a way for users to quickly annotate any object. Just select an object, press the comment button, and type a comment. Users can navigate between comments, and multiple users can comment in the same document using different colors.

Other Features

In addition to the features listed above, I have contributed to miscellaneous other features, including window behavior, preferences, menus, and change tracking.

Additional Resources