Statement of Work (SOW)
Employer: Google
Project Name: Android System Server & SystemUI Transitions Framework Refactoring
Project Manager: Lala Mammadova
Project Duration: 7 months

Project Overview

The project aimed to refactor the Transitions framework in Android System Server and SystemUI to improve app and system-related animations, significantly reducing flickers and test failures. The initiative also included enhancing Picture-in-Picture (PiP) functionality, supporting multi-instance management for larger screens, and addressing memory regressions in the Launcher process. The outcome was a complete burn-down of high-priority bugs in two quarters and an overall improvement in stability and performance.

Project Discovery & Initial Planning

  • Conducted stakeholder meetings to define scope, performance benchmarks, and key deliverables.

  • Collaborated with engineering and QA teams to outline bug resolution priorities and testing methodologies.

  • Gathered credentials and access to internal Android tools and test environments.

  • Developed a 50-page documentation detailing the framework internals for team-wide knowledge sharing.

  • Created a project roadmap with milestones to track progress and dependencies.

Sprint Plan

Managing Stakeholder Expectations

  • Clear and Transparent Communication: I ensured all stakeholders, including engineering, QA, product managers, and executives, were informed of project progress, risks, and milestones through structured communication plans. Regular status updates via weekly reports, bi-weekly standups, and monthly executive briefings allowed for consistent alignment on expectations.

  • Risk Mitigation & Proactive Issue Resolution: Proactively addressed potential delays and roadblocks by conducting preemptive risk assessments, ensuring any concerns were escalated and managed before they became critical issues. By involving stakeholders in decision-making meetings, I ensured they were aware of risks and trade-offs before any major technical changes were implemented.

  • Demonstrations & Iterative Feedback: To reinforce confidence in the project, I scheduled live demonstrations of improvements, showcasing flicker reductions, enhanced PiP interactions, and improved memory handling. These hands-on reviews provided stakeholders with tangible proof of progress and allowed them to provide input before final implementation.