Contact

Alena Washburne | Senior UX Designer

alena@alenawashburne.com

Experience

Amazon Devices, Fire TV | Lead UX Designer | May 2018 - Present

  • Led redesign of core navigation and content discovery experiences, improving the customer journey and driving a 12%+ increase in search activity.

  • Owned end-to-end design for GenAI-powered Fire TV search, enabling natural, conversational queries via Alexa; featured in a national press demo by Amazon VP, Daniel Rausch.

  • Initiated and led design of Fire TV’s first voice-prompt interface—an industry-first for streaming devices—enabling follow-up questions, result filtering, and conversational content discovery.

  • Collaborated with Alexa team to increase voice search awareness and usage through a multi-phase experimentation program, resulting in a 6%+ lift in voice engagement.

Fabric | Principal Designer | Feb 2018 – December 2018

  • Led visual and UX design for a Seattle-based digital strategy and product design startup, delivering branding, pitch decks, and design assets for business development with clients including J.Crew, T-Mobile, Build.com, REI, and Lowe’s.

  • Conducted a comprehensive homepage design audit for J.Crew, delivered redesign recommendations, and presented directly to the Chief Marketing Officer for potential implementation.

  • Integrated Fit Explore feature across the J.Crew site to improve online shopping usability and reduce product return rates.

Amazon Fashion | Visual/UX Designer II | Dec 2015 – Feb 2018

  • Served as UX lead for Amazon Private Brands’ fashion configurator, designing interactive experiences for Buttoned Down dress shirts and Core 10 yoga pants.

  • Led visual design for the launch of Amazon Fashion’s Visual Dress Finder across desktop and mobile, enhancing customer product discovery.

  • Designed UX for Prime Wardrobe’s “Learn More” pages and managed cross-functional coordination, including sprint planning and daily standups.

  • Acted as team ambassador for university recruiting; represented Amazon at 8 colleges, giving talks and interviewing candidates.

Amazon Media | Visual Designer | Dec 2013 – Dec 2015

  • Led package design for all On Demand titles, ensuring visual consistency across promotional and platform assets, collaborating with major enterprise vendors (CBS, Paramount, Fox) and independent publishers.

  • Designed and launched assets for Amazon Studios TV shows, including Alpha House, Betas, and Tumble Leaf.

Amazon Marketing Group | Designer | May 2013 – Dec 2013

  • Designed and coded custom product detail pages for Amazon.com, tailored to highlight specific product features.

  • Collaborated with vendors like Sonos and Google to create enhanced content and detailed product descriptions, resulting in increased sales.

Freelance | Multidisciplinary Designer | Jan 2006 – Present

  • Collaborated with numerous clients across various industries - notable projects include creating custom package designs for national vitamin brands and designing bespoke wedding invitations, which were featured in Seattle Bride magazine.

Evive Health | Graphic Design Intern | Spring 2012

Mandalay Vision | Art Department Film Intern | Fall 2011

School

Columbia Art & Design: BFA, with honors

Skills & Extras

Skills & Tools:

  • Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and more

Affiliations & Volunteering:

  • Executive Board Member, Young Professionals Committee, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound

  • GLAmazon Volunteer

  • Member, AIGA

  • IXDA Coach and Judge