Mapper.ai - Summarized Work

A startup which created machine-Readable-Maps (MRM) for autonomous vehicles. My time there was one of constant change, but such is startup life. Within less than two years I went from contractor to design lead.

UX, Product, & Brand Design

CES 2018 BOOTH ANIMATION

The goal was to convey the benefits of mapper’s technology and approach to scaling the acquisition of machine-readable-maps (MRMs), and their benefit to autonomous vehicles. The video looped at the front of the booth for convention-goers.

WEBSITE REDESIGN

Mapper’s original page had simply been no more than a placeholder image and contact email. The team went through several iterations before arriving on a final design. I handled visual language and brand while my other designer worked on layout and interaction. The site has since been retired, but a goodbye page is still up. Click the image below to check it out.


This site has been officially shut down since 2021.

ANNOTATOR

The Annotator app was an editor for creating our semantic maps. I worked closely with engineers to give the app interface and UX improvements while adhering to system limitations.

Interaction motion studies detailing the user flows of key functions in Annotator. Above explores lane creation and transform tools (top), and intersection zone creation and definition (bottom).


The Properties Panel (Far left) is context-based, displaying information and tools depending on the type of annotation you have selected or are creating.


The Layers Panel (middle left) is for displaying various annotations in the viewport and toggling characteristics of the point cloud.

Operations & Practices

E2E PIPELINE

The End-to-End (E2E) testing pipeline came about after we narrowly missed a demo with prospective clients due to a critical software failure. I worked closely with our Lead Software Engineer in identifying the major beats of our mapping pipeline, and then creating a testing solution to check for critical failures. This included writing documentation, conducting user testing, and a presentation introducing the team to our new system of standards and practices. It was a massive learning process, but it improved product quality!

The End-to-End (E2E) pipeline consisted of 5 major steps which handled everything from capture operations to software performance.

When done, we had a helpful wiki for educating our team on the proper methods of testing and handling the many steps of our pipeline. Such as the proper way to mount and un-mount our mapping device from the car 😉.

© Kyle McGill, 2026

© Kyle McGill, 2026

© Kyle McGill, 2026