Willow Desktop APP

Role · Founding Product Designer
Timeline · 2026 – Present

Willow is a voice-to-text desktop app that replaces your keyboard — press a hotkey, speak naturally, and perfectly formatted text appears in any app you're using.


As the founding designer, I built the design system from zero to one and redesigned the responsive desktop app — from the core dictation surface to onboarding, education, dictionary, shortcuts, settings, team management, and more. Every decision aimed at one thing: making writing 4x faster — more accurate, more polished, more professional.

01 / Willow desktop dictation experience

At Willow, dictation comes first. Our mission is to make voice input and AI writing tools feel effortless- integrated into the apps you use daily, so they become second nature.


There are mainly 3 functions that the floating bar leads to.


Dictation — voice-to-text input across any app or text field

Scribe — AI writing assistance (rewrite, polish, translate, etc.)

Main App Entry — quick gateway into the full Willow application

Willow Scribe Demo


Dictation floating bar explorations

02 / Desktop APP

Willow Desktop is our main app. Beyond the foundational features you'd expect—such as adding terms to a personal dictionary, configuring shortcuts, setting languages, and other usage-based settings and fast routes


—we place strong emphasis on user growth and user education.


During onboarding, we guide users to correctly discover and use Willow's various dictation methods. Our in-app Education Center, paired with motivational design patterns, helps users build and retain the habit of using Willow. The main app also includes team management and friend referral features. Near the primary action area, an auto-rotating carousel and other surface-level designs make it easy for users to invite their friends.


We aim to first build user stickiness and habit formation, then drive exponential growth through enterprise plans and a multi-layered friend referral strategy.

Onboarding

Home Page

Side Bar

Dictionary

Team

Referral

Modals

Others