Project Aqua

Adobe's first creative app for kids. I joined before it had a name and designed the core experience from scratch. Free on iOS.

Role Founding Designer

Company Adobe

Year 2025

Download Project Aqua →

4.8★ App Store Rating

375k+ Creations

First Kids Product at Adobe

2025 Launch

No Grids, No Menus

Traditional navigation felt too "adult" in testing. We used an island map instead. Kids explore rather than browse.

Spectrum, But for Kids

Adobe's design system wasn't built for 6-year-olds. Early builds felt intimidating. We adapted it: larger touch targets, bolder buttons, playful motion.

AI Transforms, Doesn't Replace

Generative tools turn kids' drawings into clay, yarn, or origami. The child's work stays at the center. AI adds surprise, not authorship.

Delight Over Features

Short attention spans. Jellyfish disco loading screens. Animated confetti. Characters that wave back. These did more than any tutorial.

Watch the Talk

From Pixels to Playground: Designing Adobe's First Creative App for Kids. Adobe Design Summit 2025.

What Does Home Look Like?

Island-based navigation showing world map progression — When grids and buttons didn't work, we took a "non-adult" approach. The map with islands let kids explore activities at their own pace rather than being forced down a singular path.

Building a Hybrid Design System

Annotated drawing interface showing brush picker, canvas, and tool tray — The journey of simplifying the editor. Initially, the canvas felt small and the toolbar was overwhelming. We reduced the number of tools, introduced an open color palette, and increased the canvas size.

Drawing interface on iPad with parent companion app on iPhone — Early versions using Spectrum components felt too complex. Icons within panels and interactions that assumed prior familiarity didn't feel intuitive for a young audience.

AI as a Sidekick

AI-powered style filters transforming artwork into different styles — AI filters powered by Adobe Firefly let kids explore new textures and styles. Their drawing turns into clay, yarn, or origami. The child's work stays at the center. AI adds surprise, not authorship.

Balancing Learning with Fun

Gallery feature evolution from December 2024 to August 2025 — The galleries evolved from a few frames on the wall to a complete space for kids to showcase their art. Kids can customize the space, paint the walls, choose background music, and invite friends and family to visit.

Children using Project Aqua on tablets — More than 2,000 kids and their parents use the beta version, regularly returning for more Aqua magic.

Explore More

Behind the Design

A deep dive into the early ideas, explorations, and decisions behind Aqua.

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Adobe Design Summit Talk

Watch my 2025 Adobe Design Summit talk about designing for kids.

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Adobe's Press Release

Read Adobe's announcement introducing Project Aqua.

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Download on App Store

Try Project Aqua on iPad.

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More Work

Gween Toys

Product Lead · Toy Design

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