Devices Design Group
iOS & Android | Dec 2022 - Sept 2023 | Release Article
Overview
MOBILE DESIGN
USER RESEARCH
PRODUCT STRATEGY
IA REDESIGN
DESIGN SYSTEMS
Alexa Mobile is the central hub for managing devices, settings, and smart home setups. This redesign reimagined the app as a foundational tool, making it easier and more intuitive for users to customize and control their smart homes.
100+
Pages
100M+
Global Users
5+
Partnering Teams
#7
Lifestyle App
Process
As a key contributor to the 2023 Smart Home Forward initiative, I led user research and early design explorations aimed at redefining the Alexa Mobile app experience. Serving as the control center for device management and smart home customization, the app needed a clearer, more intuitive structure.
I conducted a deep analysis of the existing information architecture, identified key usability issues, and mapped out these problem areas in Figma to visualize pain points and opportunities. These foundational insights shaped the redesign strategy and informed early concepts that aimed to make the app more user-friendly, flexible, and aligned with the needs of smart home users. Visual examples can be found later on this page.
The Challenge
As Alexa's ecosystem of devices and capabilities rapidly expanded, the original structure of the mobile app struggled to keep up. What was once a simple companion tool had become cluttered and unintuitive for today’s users.
Unclear Purpose: The app lacked a clear direction, overwhelming users with too many options and under-communicated features.
Complex User Flows: Navigation and interactions had become convoluted, making it difficult for users to accomplish everyday tasks.
Misaligned Mental Models: For many users, the app was seen primarily as a setup tool—limiting engagement beyond initial device installation.
These challenges revealed the need for a strategic redesign focused on clarity, usability, and aligning the app experience with real user needs.
App Audit & Information Architecture
To better understand the current state of the Alexa Mobile app, I partnered with another designer to conduct a comprehensive UX audit. We mapped out the full information architecture, identifying all user flows—including redundant paths and unclear navigation patterns. This deep dive revealed unexpected connections and usability issues that were contributing to user confusion. The insights from this audit directly informed a simplified and more intuitive app architecture, laying the groundwork for the redesign.
Simplification - Navigation Redesign
As part of the redesign, the app’s top-level navigation was streamlined from five channels down to three: Home, Devices, and More. This simplification reflected our core goal of improving ease of use while making the experience feel more personalized. By reducing cognitive load and focusing on the most essential entry points, we created a cleaner, more intuitive foundation that better supports users' smart home journeys.
New Components
With the removal of two top-level channels, we introduced new components to ensure users could still easily access key features. The Home channel became the central experience—designed to surface the most relevant and personalized content, making it easier for users to engage with their smart home setup.
I contributed to the design and delivery of 4+ key components on the Home page, collaborating closely with other designers to brainstorm, iterate, and refine the most effective representations of core functionalities.
Favorites
Completed extensive studies of favoriting patterns, including current implementations of the Favorites section, in order to identify which patterns are more intuitive and efficient.
The Favorites section creates opportunities for users to personalize their experiences and have easy access to the actions and skills of Alexa that they use the most. This design pattern specifies between Device Favorites and Non-Device Favorites.
I also specifically worked alongside partnering teams in Entertainment and Communications to create designs for Non-Device Favorite tiles, balancing the need for simplicity and function for users.
