APPLE · 2014–2021
My work across Maps, iMessage and augmented reality: hands-on development, interaction design and cross-team implementation. Released features and prototypes are identified separately.
Maps
Augmented RealityMy prototype, presented internally in 2018, connects the camera view, spatial geometry and place information. I recreated place cards in SpriteKit for display within the camera view.
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MapsAugmented RealityI developed the flyover further in SceneKit: more detailed 3D buildings, named streets and sidewalks, plus water and sky. I calculated the placement of street labels and boundaries and rendered them at runtime.
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GPS and viewing direction positioned invisible building geometry around the user. A tap selected the first geometric hit along the viewing direction and displayed the associated information as a place card.
Geometry and available POI information came from Maps. When matching place information was unavailable, the prototype used available Zillow property information, such as rent or purchase prices and room details. The geometry still came from Maps.
For the next prototype, I calculated how buildings, streets, names and boundaries were displayed and rendered them at runtime. Sidewalks, water and sky added spatial context for orientation.
Maps
iMessageBUSINESS CHAT
Select a business in Maps and start a conversation in Messages directly from its place card.
I co-developed the idea with a colleague, built working prototypes, demonstrated the integration and evaluated the approach. I implemented the messaging entry point in the Maps place card through to the released iOS feature, working with the Maps and iMessage teams.
I connected Apple and MessengerPeople and joined the first two conversations. The teams then continued the collaboration. Apple Business Chat complemented MessengerPeople’s WhatsApp offering, while Apple gained a suitable messaging partner.
A place and its information in Maps.
The entry point right in the place card.
Make contact without looking up a phone number.
The product is now called Messages for Business.
The product at Apple
Maps
WikipediaWIKIPEDIA · WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The essential work happened before anything appeared on screen: connecting information, selecting relevant images and filtering unsuitable content.
Connect places with their wider context — for example, a country with its continent.
Bring articles, population, area and other available information together in a coherent place view.
Semantically match Wikimedia Commons media, organise it by topic and select appropriate images for display.
Develop and apply filters for explicit sexual or violent imagery.
With the teams involved, I prepared and integrated Wikipedia text, images and metadata for Maps and other iOS/Mac features, and assessed their quality. Image selection, thematic organisation and content filtering were a substantial part of that work.
This content preparation was substantially more involved than integrating partners’ already structured data.
A different data path.
Maps
Tripadvisor
YelpPOI · PARTNER-APIS
Wikipedia does not comprehensively cover restaurants, hotels and businesses. Partners with ready-made data APIs filled those gaps.
Which source offers the best coverage for a country or region?
Select and integrate an appropriate source for the relevant places.
Display photos, ratings and reviews with the provider clearly identified.
I analysed coverage by country and region with different providers, selected suitable POI sources and worked with the teams on integration.
Examples from my provider work at the time
MapsINDOOR MAPS
Capture indoor spaces and turn floor plans into practical orientation.
I was responsible for indoor-navigation functionality and worked with the teams on iOS/Mac applications and the surveying app. In 2019 I wrote and documented Apple’s official sample project “Displaying an Indoor Map”. It shows other developers how to display IMDF floor plans using MapKit.
View my published sample code on Apple Developer ↗Tools for working with indoor spaces.
Make structures and relevant destinations accessible.
The sample-code project made indoor-map presentation understandable and reusable for other developers.
MapsAugmented RealityAUGMENTED REALITY
Coordinates and spatial information become understandable in the visible environment — not just on a map.
I developed the early AR Maps idea, contributed hands-on development and led its cross-team implementation over roughly 18 months. The two films at the top show my prototype work.
Original concept and hands-on engineering.
Implementation across teams.
Roughly 18 months.
Not released in this form; a foundation for later AR navigation in iOS.
THE COMMON THREAD
Original ideas, technical implementation and collaboration across disciplines. Today, with MindFlow, I explore the capabilities and limitations of local AI.
MindFlow portfolio