Scaling Google Lens across platforms & products
Role: UX Design Manager
Overview
Google Lens started as a camera-based visual search tool on mobile. It was powerful but hard to find and not widely used. I led the effort to bring Lens beyond mobile and into everyday moments across Search, Chrome, and Photos. This work helped shape how people search visually on Google today, meeting them where they are and making visual search feel less like a gimmick and more like a natural part of how we explore the world.
Lens in Google Photos
Lens in Google Translate
The Challenges
Lens had solid capabilities but most people didn't know it existed. It was tucked away in a standalone mobile app and completely unavailable on desktop. We needed to:
- Make Lens easier to access on both mobile and desktop
- Integrate Lens into other Google products without making it feel bolted on
- Design for a behavior, visual search, that was still new for most users
Approach
1. Bring Lens to where people already are
I worked with PMs, engineers, researchers and leads across Search, Shopping, Chrome, and Photos to figure out the right entry points and use cases for each product. My role was to align the team around a shared vision, ensuring Lens felt native to each surface rather than just bolted on.
2. Build a consistent, cross-platform experience
Lens was originally built for mobile so bringing it to desktop meant starting from scratch. I lef the design and co-created the strategy for the first version of Lens for Web. My team worked closely with the Search team to integrate it into the google.com search bar. On mobile, I ensured Lens felt cohesive across Android, iOS and partner devices like Samsung and Xiaomi. This required close coordination across product, engineering and design orgs.
3. Lead and grow the design team
I managed a team of five designers. Beyond design reviews and day-to-day direction, I focused on their individual growth. I supported a senior IC transition into their first leadership role and mentored others on how to work effectively across a large multi-stakeholder organization.
4. Focus on clarity and trust
Visual search was still new to most people. I partnered with our researchers and writers to make the experience feel approachable. We tested prototypes and paid close attention to how people understood what Lens could do and whether they trusted it enough to use it.
Lens web from google.com
Lens in Chrome
Outcomes
- Lens now powers 20B+ visual searches every month across mobile and desktop
- We built the first version of Lens for Web, starting with Google Search
- We expanded Lens into Chrome, bringing visual search directly into the browser
- Lens became a core part of Google’s broader multi-modal search strategy
- Users can now access Lens from wherever they are with no need to download a separate app or learn something new
Looking Back
This work was about more than just scaling a product. It was about making a new behavior feel familiar. Finding the right balance between vision and practicality was the hardest part. Lens needed to become something people used without even thinking about it. It was also one of the most collaborative efforts I have been part of and that made the impact even more meaningful.
Press
Davina Kim