Scaling AI into an IDE-Style Experience

Led the transformation of FileMaker Pro from a modal-heavy platform to an AI-powered, end-to-end development experience - improving usability, increasing adoption, and enabling long-term product growth.

Overview

My Contributions

• Defined product vision to scale AI from isolated dialogs to a unified, platform-wide experience

• Translated insights and competitive analysis into a centralized UX strategy

• Partnered cross-functionally to align design, product, and engineering on a phased modernization plan

Deliverables

• Product Spec

• Prototype

• SwiftUI Development

Understanding the problem

Background

  • FileMaker Pro is a widely-used low-code platform with disjointed architecture and workflows
  • Claris leadership prioritized AI to stay competitive and respond to disruption in the low-code space
  • Product Owner (Ronnie) had gathered customer feedback and identified Calculations and Script Workspace as AI pilot areas
  • Engineering built a quick MVP to test feasibility

Customer Feedback

  • Customers liked the AI direction but wanted it embedded across the full development flow
  • They criticized the disjointed app-building experience and praised Cursor’s centralized layout
  • These customers closely aligned with our primary persona, Paula, reframing our strategy toward end-to-end AI support

Product Owner and I leading a stakeholder feedback session to evaluate the MVP direction and identify areas for improvement.

Problem Statement

  • The MVP addressed isolated pain points, but the broader development workflow remained fragmented
  • Customers struggled with modal overload and disconnected steps across the platform
  • To make AI truly valuable, we needed to redesign the platform structure to support end-to-end intelligence

Define

To reimagine the product with AI, I first identified user friction and high-impact AI opportunities.

  • Aligned on 3 strategic goals: extend AI, centralize experience, preserve familiarity
  • Mapped the end-to-end app creation journey in Layout mode — revealing 15+ modals accessed  via manage Database causing major friction points
  • Identified key opportunities where AI could reduce complexity and improve continuity

Strategic foundation for redesigning the platform

Ideation

Research & Direction

  • Studied Cursor, VSCode, and Xcode to explore scalable AI integration in developer workflows
  • Identified Cursor’s strength: full-app awareness and intuitive IDE-style layout
  • Evaluated feasibility using Apple’s design system and Xcode references

Cursor, XSCode Xcode research

Concept Development

  • Created wireframes centralizing the app-building flow (tables → relationships → layouts → scripts)
  • Iterated to balance new structure with legacy UI familiarity

Information Architecture

Design Solution

Unified Workflow

  • Reduced 15+ modals to 5 core panels to streamline app creation
  • Introduced a persistent left-hand panel to unify development flows
  • Maintained familiar patterns to reduce onboarding friction for legacy users

Embedded AI and future-proof architecture

  • Embedded AI suggestions inline with granular control (accept/reject)
  • Added canvas preview to compare current vs AI-enhanced logic
  • Designed components to support SwiftUI migration and future AI use

Execution

Validating with customers and aligning stakeholders

  • Validated direction with 10+ customers during weekly “kitchen” feedback sessions
  • Aligned product, engineering, and leadership around a 3-phase rollout
  • I’m leading Phase 3 front-end build in SwiftUI to enable a future-proof, IDE-style experience

Outcomes

End-to-End AI Integration

AI assistance was extended beyond the initial MVP to support the entire app-building workflow — including tables, relationships, layouts, and logic. This provided contextual intelligence at every step, aligning with user expectations for a modern development experience.

Unified, Streamlined Workflow

Reduced 15+ fragmented modals into 5 core panels, introducing a persistent left-hand navigation and AI-aware layout. This dramatically improved usability, reduced friction, and boosted developer success rates.

Future-Ready Architecture (SwiftUI + AI)

Designed and implemented modular components in SwiftUI to support long-term scalability. The architecture now supports AI extensibility, future integrations, and faster iteration cycles across macOS.

Tangible Business Value

Modernizing the platform and embedding AI across all workflows led to improved user retention, faster onboarding, and measurable workflow improvements — resulting in an estimated $1M–$3M in business impact through customer retention and expanded usage.