SONY
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OVERVIEW
ABOUT
Sony’s A2 Production (A2P) is an AI-powered platform designed to streamline media workflows by automating tasks such as metadata tagging, highlight generation, and content distribution. As part of Sony’s Creators’ Cloud suite, A2P integrates advanced AI capabilities to enhance efficiency in media production.
RESULT
The development of A2 Production resulted in a modular, cloud-based system that lets users configure AI engines through an intuitive interface, transforming repetitive tasks into efficient processes. Focused on core production needs—metadata tagging, highlight generation, and content distribution—it boosts productivity and consistency. The team also explored future AI features like audio stem separation, scene detection, video sync from audio, and “cheer” detection for sports to further expand the platform’s capabilities.
COMPANY
Sony Electronics
ROLE
Lead Product Designer - Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design intuitive workflows and interfaces for A2P. Led the development of the Pro UI design system to ensure a cohesive user experience across Sony’s media solutions.
PROJECT GOAL
The goal of A2 Production was to design an AI-powered platform that automates repetitive tasks in media production, freeing professionals to focus on creativity. By integrating AI tools for metadata tagging and content analysis, the team aimed to reduce time spent on routine processes. A key objective was a flexible rule engine enabling users to build custom workflows, all while ensuring seamless integration with Sony’s hardware and software ecosystem.
PROCESS
The process began with research by product management and planners into the challenges faced by global media professionals. These insights informed the design of A2P’s features, including the AI Rule Engine Maker—a flexible tool that lets users quickly build custom AI engines to reduce workflow bottlenecks. With workflows defined, I worked closely with development teams in Japan to explore design options and create prototypes that validated our concepts.
Building on close collaboration with product management and development teams, I refined workflows aligned with the A2P design system I developed. This enabled rapid creation of mid-fidelity interfaces and prototypes, including screen recordings to share with users and management. The designs spanned the entire production flow—from intuitive asset selection and live feed integration to manual tagging, AI automation, and flexible media publishing—empowering users to maintain control at each step and meet the diverse needs of global media professionals.
DESIGN SYSTEM
A dedicated design system was created in Figma alongside A2P’s development, enabling me to rapidly explore and iterate on UI options in near real-time collaboration with product managers and development teams across the globe. This system not only streamlined design decisions but also allowed the development team in Japan to begin component implementation in parallel with design validation and iteration. This collaborative approach—new to the dev team—reduced development and QA time by half, significantly accelerating delivery for a service like A2P at Sony.
PROTOTYPES
Utilizing Figma’s prototyping capabilities, I created detailed, interactive prototypes to share with users and planners for process validation. These prototypes not only clarified user flows but also provided realistic screen recordings that development and QA teams could reference. Seeing firsthand how interactions should behave reduced documentation confusion and helped bridge language barriers within our multicultural team. This approach ensured a shared understanding of intended behaviors, streamlining both development and quality assurance.
A2P / WORKFLOW
AI Media Analysis
AI ASSISTANT
As part of the A2P design, I created an AI-powered chat system, Pro Assist, that allows users to interact with the platform using natural language. This feature lets users define, locate, and distribute specific assets through intuitive conversational commands rather than navigating complex menus. By integrating Pro Assist, we made the platform more approachable, empowering users of all technical backgrounds to manage media production tasks with confidence and ease.
FUTURE STEPS
Looking to the future, the A2 Production team identified opportunities to expand the platform’s AI capabilities even further. Potential enhancements include advanced audio stem separation for isolating dialogue or music tracks, automatic scene detection to simplify video editing, and video synchronization based on audio content to streamline multi-camera workflows. For sports production, “cheer” detection could automatically identify crowd reactions, creating richer highlight reels. These features would build on A2 Production’s foundation to deliver even more powerful, intelligent tools to media professionals worldwide.
Setting regions and types for "Cheer" detection
Post-analysis results display audio detection and levels
© 2025 TIM MAIR
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