Rina Kang
Interaction • Visual • Strategy • Vision
I'm a Product Designer (now at Meta) whose strengths lie in craft, storytelling, and strategy. Previously, I was a UX designer at Amazon crafting Alexa Communication experiences to connect millions of customers with their loved ones. Over the years, I’ve worked on a breadth of consumer domains: device onboarding, smarthome controls, fitness features, and visual design systems for the Alexa App and the Echo Show suite. Before discovering my passion for technology, I studied and practiced Architecture, designing everything from skyscrapers to stadium-turned living spaces. My work aims to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds, one thoughtful interaction at a time.
BASED
Seattle, US
EXPERIENCE
CV
01
Alexa Communications
Alexa Mobile & Multimodal • Amazon • 2021-2022
Previously, I led redesign efforts for the Alexa Communications landing page on the Alexa App, helping millions of customers better connect with their household and loved ones. I drove design strategy and buy-in across different Alexa teams.
Other design initiatives I led design for:
- Envisioning northstar Alexa-enabled social experiences and new product opportunities (2-3 years out)
- Improving usability with revamped call controls, scaled across the Echo Show suite
- Easing customer privacy and trust concerns by enabling access to communications data
02
Echo Device Setup
Alexa Core Mobile • Amazon • 2019-2020
Millions of Echo smart speaker customers use the Alexa App to set up their devices, but almost half did not complete setup on their first try. With a jarring and inconsistent experience, customer confidence was lacking throughout the entire flow. To combat this, I proactively established the UX strategy to rebuild our foundations and delivered systematic design improvements for all Echo smart speaker setup flows. My contributions led to dramatic increases in setup completion rates, setup app ratings, CX consistency, and time savings in design and engineering.
Before moving onto my next role, I also planned and facilitated a week-long design sprint to set up the team for success and explore the next areas of focus for 2021 and beyond.
+213%
Increased Setup App Rating
+11%
Increased Setup Completion Rate
-65%
Reduced Design & Engineering time
03
Echo Show Security
Alexa Smarthome • Amazon • 2020
Guard is an Alexa service that helps monitor customers’ homes while they’re away. Using the Echo devices as a pair of ears, it can listen for sounds of dangerous activity and notify customers. However, the Guard experience was limited to voice and mobile.
I developed the conceptual vision to bring the Guard experience to the Echo Show. I led the end-to-end design of the v1 experience, enabling customers to use their Echo Shows as a security panel for their Guard Plus, Ring, or other 3P security system. When customers enter their home, an entry delay will begin, prompting them to enter their pin—else a siren will start. The final experience is a unique combination of visuals, sound, and motion coming together in harmony.
04
Alexa Fitness
Alexa Core Mobile & Multimodal • Amazon • 2020
Echo Buds is a device that allows customers to access Alexa on-the-go. Our vision was to unlock a key use case for the Echo Buds customer—fitness—as a way to drive engagement for the on-the-go customer segment.
I designed and shipped the end-to-end mobile app experience that allows Echo Bud customers to track their runs, walks, and other workouts via duration, steps, distance, pace, calories, and route. To begin tracking, customers can go to their Alexa app and tap on ‘Workout’ or simply say, "Alexa, start my workout."
Verge
Fitness on the Echo Show
Following our mobile launch, we began envisioning unique fitness opportunities for the Echo Show. We decided our MVP would add moments of delight to a customer’s fitness journey by updating them on their progress. I designed and shipped the v1 multimodal experience on the Echo Show suite, enabling customers to review their past workouts ambiently at home.
05
Alexa App Design System
Alexa Core Mobile • Amazon • 2018-2020
When I first joined Amazon, the design system for the Alexa App was in its infant stages. The design system did not cover the vast and urgent design needs coming from different Alexa orgs. To combat this, I worked alongside my team to define and build visual design system patterns and templates, personally contributing to almost 1/4 of the entire design library. I focused designing for core components, devices, smarthome controls, onboarding, and more. To ensure scalability, I built trusted partnerships with different Alexa teams, working side by side with domain designers and consulting on best practices, with the overall goal of creating a consistent experience for the customer. The systems thinking and trust-earning I gained during this time is pivotal to how I approach my work today.
TechCrunch27
Components I defined
6
Orgs I partnered with
2
App refreshes I launched
~600
Pages I impacted
“Rina has an uncanny ability to attack design problems from all angles. Her super power is that combination of a wide vision and attention to detail.”
Light & Dark Mode
In 2020, I supported the discovery, design, and launch of the Alexa app’s Light & Dark mode, increasing legibility and accessibility for 300 million+ customers.
Forbes
One Design Icon System
I was the owner of Alexa’s icon system (1000+ icons), leading the creative direction of new icons by consulting with requesting domain teams and working with an external design agency.
Illustration
With the goal of adding another skill to my design toolkit, I challenged myself to create the illustration set for some of our flag ship features, such as Announcements on the Echo Show (pictured above), Guard onboarding on mobile, and devices illustrations.
06
Mentorship & Speaking
2018 - Ongoing
For the past couple of years, I’ve opened my calendar up to help pre-career designers from diverse backgrounds explore career transitions to UX Design (via ADP List, LinkedIn, Mentorcruise, and DesignLab).
During the depths of the pandemic, I saw a growing interest of former architects wanting to apply their skills to the tech industry. To help scale knowledge-sharing, last year I organized and facilitated 4 panels, inviting “architechies” currently working as product managers, product designers, and software engineers to share their experience to audiences of 50+.
40+
Mentees
20+
Successful UX transitions
Thanks for taking a peek at my work! For detailed case study presentations, please reach out. :)
