Project Overview

📢This is my 2023 LinkedIn summer internship project.
I was a product design intern at LinkedIn and I was placed in Trust 🛡️ team in the Design Foundation Org.

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Task
To create a keyboard operability design & framework for the design org,
providing a design guideline focused on improving LinkedIn’s keyboard navigation experience.

Role

Product Designer Intern

Duration

12 weeks

Tool

Figma
Figjam
Spector
Adobe Illustrator

Team

Trust🛡️,
Design Foundation Org.

Keyboard operability means being able to efficiently browse a website or app without a mouse or a trackpad!
The improved accessibility can also benefit users with disabilities who might have difficulties using a mouse or a trackpad,
as well as power users who rely heavily on keyboard shortcuts!
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Basically, keyboard operability benefits all LinkedIn members!
‍

My Design is Live on LinkedIn! 🥳

Keyboard Shortcut Modal Design

The design I worked on during my internship had a company-wide launch.
Now, it's live and visible to all users!

If you can't use a mouse, just press the 'Tab' button to access the keyboard shortcut modal. Once it's on, you can navigate LinkedIn website entirely with your keyboard.
No mouse needed!

Please check this link for more detail!🔗 LinkedIn Help Center

Internship Project Deliverables

I have done 3 projects during my internship.

Project 1.

Project 2.

Project 3.

‍
3-WEEK PROJECT
• I provided MVP designs (keyboard shortcut modal for main feeds page and setting page)• Designs were shipped on LinkedIn main page for company-wide testing.
• I collaborated with a senior engineer, 3 product designers across different teams, and a contents designer for this delivarable.

2-WEEK PROJECT
• I conducted a LinkedIn shortcuts audit and competitor research to create a LinkedIn shortcut repository.
• This also drove LinkedIn Flagship UX team and the Publishing team for consistencies in shortcut usages.
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‍

‍
‍12-WEEK PROJECT
‍• I created a keyboard operability framework, including north star vision designs to be serve as a reference for future keyboard operability related projects at LinkedIn!
• I collaborated with 7 desigers, a UX researcher and an engineer, and conducted in-depth user interviews to publish this framework.

Background

When I interned at LinkedIn,
the website didn’t have keyboard shortcuts.
This made it challenging for users who rely on keyboard navigation or can't use a mouse to navigate the site efficiently.

For example,
if a user wanted to reach the 'LinkedIn News' section on the right without using a mouse,
They had to tab through every interactive element to focus on the desired section...😓

Ongoing Project

LinkedIn did not yet have robust shortcuts,
But there are teams within LinkedIn that are investing to enhance the keyboard operability.
Immediately when I started theinternship, I got involved in 2 projects.
(Keyboard Shortcut Audit is under NDA🤫. If you interest to know more, Please reach out to me!)
‍

First Project

For the first project, I worked with a team focused on adding a shortcut list modal to the feed page.
I created design options, iterated on them, and I provided MVP designs with specifications to the engineers.
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STEP 1. RESEARCH 🔍
• LinkedIn shortcut audit
• Competitive analysis
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STEP 2. DESIGN & REVIEW 🖌️🤝
• Designing of MVP options
• Review with Trust team and Design System team

STEP 3. COPY CONFIMATION ✍️
Copy confirmation from Content Design team
‍

STEP 4. HAND-OFF 🚀
Delivery of MVP designs with specifications to engineers
‍

‍
‍
‍
During my internship, my design was shipped and tested company-wide.

Problems...

Throughout 2 projects… I observed several problems.

🙅 NO CENTRALIZED TEAM
LinkedIn does not have a centralized team or governance that serves as a guid for keyboard operability.

🤷 LACKS GUIDANCE ON SHORTCUTS
LinkedIn lacks clear guidance or a structured approach when it comes to keyboard operability or shortcuts.

🚧 LIMITED TO MVP DESIGN
LinkedIn had only MVP design, do not have designs for future fetures that considers other use cases and pain points of the current design.
‍

So...
‍ I’ve decided to design thefuture of LinkedIn’s keyboard operability!

Process for Creating the Framework

Before making the framework,
I reached out to the Design Systems team to gather advice on key considerations,
based on their advices I developed the framework's outline.
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After creating a draft,
I requested feedback from 6 designers and 1 engineer to improve the format and the content!

Solutions are Under NDA🤫

Here is a sneak peek 👀 of
keyboard operability framework ⌨️

‍To address the problem,
I developed a keyboard operability framework
with high-fidelity mockups and prototypes,
aligning with the North Star vision for accessibility.

This project encompasses elements of:
- Accessibility
- Desktop UX design
- Design systems

The Keyboard Operability Framework is under NDA 🤫
so I will provide a brief summary of the project. If you're interested to know more, please e-mail me!
📧leahoh@uw.edu

Result

After my internship,
I received 📰 exciting news from a LinkedIn designer!

My framework was featured in 🎨LinkedIn's UX Share-Out
(Design Weekly Updates), which are shared across all LinkedIn teams.
My project was highlighted alongside the work of full-time employees, which is rare for an intern!

Impact

• Provided designs using LinkedIn’s design system.
• Made keyboard shortcut repository.
• Provided framework for future reference.

• Members can navigate LinkedIn more efficiently.
• Reduced cognitive load for members by ensuring LinkedIn follows conventional shortcuts.

This is the value proposition of my project!
('Member' refers to LinkedIn users.)

What I learned...

Design process isn't linear!

Despite seeing the Stanford D School UX process diagram repeatedly in school, I learned that the process isn’t always followed in the real world.
In the real world, we emphasize prioritization and time management🕒

Work within resource constraints

In school, there are three designers and one UX researcher, in a team of four, so the assumption was that I could easily collaborate with the UXR team. However, I learned that not all projects could easily get UXR resourcing. I learned the importance of recognizing when research is essential and when we can rely on well-informed assumptions.

Summer in SF

During the summer,
I had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with amazing people and I experienced significant personal growth.
I am truly grateful to be a part of a meaningful project with a real-life impact: Keyboard Operability✨

Go to the Next Project! 🙌🚀
LinkedIn Pod!