During my time at Microsoft, I was fortunate enough to work on one of the most beloved PC programs of all time, MS Paint, and be among one of the first internal teams to design experiences for Hololens.
The first version of MS Paint was released with Windows 1.0 in 1985. Over the following decade, it captured the heart of creators around the world. By the time it was updated in Windows 7 the tool had over 120 million unique monthly users, with online communities pushing the raster graphic software to its limits.
With Microsoft gearing up to take 3D mainstream, it only made sense to bring simple, intuitive 3D tools to Microsoft's desktop creation app in the Windows 10 Creators Update. Meet Paint 3D.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yajxerdg2Y
Introducing Paint 3D - Windows, YouTube
Paint 3D is available as part of the Windows fall Creators update. It has been well received, with over 3,000 positive reviews.
The app has also been reviewed well in the press:
Paint 3D, an evolution of the classic Paint app in three dimensions, is the highlight of the Creators Update."
I didn't think much of Paint 3D at first, but my mind changed the instant I overlaid a leafy texture on top of a 3D cat. That's the sort of thing you previously needed pricey and complex 3D-modeling software to do -- now it's a free part of Windows 10 that's simple enough for kids to use."
— Devindra Hardawar, Engadget
And there's also been some kind words said on Twitter:
Paint 3D is so fucking wild"
— Yoshi, @badpadre
Thanks Yoshi. Appreciate it.️
I joined the team at Lift London, the Microsoft Studio responsible for Paint, during ideation. This came after extensive research had been conducted by the existing team. The team explored a huge range of software from Autodesk's 3D iPad creation suite and SketchUp to professional desktop tools like Maya, 3D Studio Max, and Cinema 4D.
You can read more about research and 3D object manipulation from my friend's blog, supraliminal.net. p.s. James is a great UX Designer, if you're after one.
When the team approached designing the interface, each designer was given a specific feature/tool to research and develop. Ideation was somewhat collaborative, involving lots of sketching on paper and whiteboards, followed by presentations and discussions about the generated ideas for each feature.
The first part of the interface that I worked on was the colour picker.