Amazon Alexa Music — UX Designer

The Challenge

A screen changes everything — and so does a major org transition

The Echo Show had something most Alexa devices didn't: a screen. But the music experience had been designed for a voice-only paradigm. Users on Echo Show couldn't visually browse or explore music — the interaction model assumed they already knew what they wanted to ask for. My work defined a new customer experience that took advantage of the screen: visual browsing, discovery surfaces, and a UI that met users who wanted to explore, not just request.

Research made the root cause clear: users weren't browsing because they didn't know what to say to Alexa, and they were uncertain how to navigate the screen. The voice-first model had trained users to issue commands, not to explore — and when they didn't know exactly what they wanted, the experience simply stopped. There was no browse path for uncertainty. That finding drove the design philosophy for the music discovery CX: the screen's job was to give users something to react to, not just respond to.

Internally, the team was also navigating a major organizational transition — which meant design needed to anchor structure as much as ship product.

Process

Three products shipped in six months

• Managed design partnerships with Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited — reviewing designs with their brand teams to ensure correct representation of their visual identity and standards, and coordinating feature releases to ensure what Amazon was shipping worked with their platforms and timelines
• Organized team structure and workload during a major organizational transition
• Collaborated with engineering, product management, and leadership across all three workstreams

Music Video Experience — Vevo videos launched on Echo Show

Music Skill Kit — self-service portal for developers to build custom Alexa music skills

Music on Echo Show — new CX solving customer discoverability pain points