From Legacy CAD to Modern UX

Through user testing and research, I discovered that many new users were landing in the wrong workspace or even the wrong product for their needs.

We focused on improving this first point of contact by guiding both first-time and returning users into the right workspace from the start. The goal was to create a smoother onboarding experience, helping users feel confident and productive within minutes.

During onboarding, we identified two key challenges:

• Legacy users migrating from AutoCAD often struggled with some of the software-specific differences in BricsCAD.

• New CAD users felt overwhelmed by the amount of tools and options available.

To address both, we designed interactive in-product tutorials and an animated, navigable Tips Panel. These guided users through essential tools, introduced unique BricsCAD features, and helped them build confidence step by step.

​

The result was a smoother onboarding experience that supported both experienced CAD professionals and complete beginners, while also highlighting the strengths that set BricsCAD apart.

One of BricsCAD’s greatest strengths is its full customizability. This flexibility is essential for third-party application developers, as around one-third of users run additional plug-ins or custom scripts on top of the standard product.

​

However, the settings dialog was complex and difficult to navigate, especially for users without programming experience.

​

We redesigned the interface into a tabbed, intuitive settings dialog that made configuration easier to understand and manage. The advanced tab preserved all of the original options for legacy users, while a new visual layer allowed others to see their changes reflected directly in the program.

​

This update made the system both developer-friendly and accessible, improving usability without compromising the power and flexibility that BricsCAD is known for.

First impressions matter. One of the first elements users encountered in BricsCAD was the LookFrom navigation widget. It looked pixelated, felt outdated, and was unintuitive for new users. Even worse, a long-standing bug caused it to follow Mac users across their screens, even when BricsCAD wasn’t active.

​

We completely reimagined the widget to create a clean, modern design that worked equally well in both 2D and 3D environments. The new version maintained full functionality, stayed within patent boundaries, and offered a smoother, more professional first interaction for every user.

Another key first point of contact for users was the status bar. Compared to competitors, BricsCAD’s version felt "clunky and outdated".

​

Through user research and testing, we discovered that many users actually disliked the icon-only status bars found in other CAD software. This insight gave us an opportunity to create something better!

​

We redesigned the status bar with optional text labels alongside the icons, improving clarity and accessibility. When screen space was limited, the text would automatically collapse, leaving only the icons visible. This approach gave users the best of both worlds.

This request came directly from developers and product owners who needed a way to test workflows and proof-of-concepts in real-world scenarios outside the short beta window.

​

The solution: a Sandbox Environment, introduced as the “Experimental Features” mode. Any user could enable it to try out upcoming tools and functionalities that were not yet ready for full release but showed potential value.

​

This setup provided a vital feedback loop between users and the development team. By gathering insights from real-world testing before the final release, we could refine features early, a critical step for iteration within a waterfall environment.