Situation:
In early 2020, I was leading design for Alexa Communications in an organization called DDG, Devices Design Group. With one other CxD recently hired to support the domain, we had our hands full with conversation design for Calling, Drop In, Announcements and Messaging, as well as Connections (the design and logic around choosing a contact, device or group to connect with). I would often be asked questions about conversation design by the UX Designers in DDG supporting other areas, such as FireTV, Mobile and Design Systems. Even after developing and teaching an internal course nicknamed “AVA” (Alexa Voice Academy) to train UX, there was still too much demand for CxD expertise as more and more devices launched with Alexa inside. The organization needed dedicated resources and its own CxD team.
Action:
I worked closely with my director to write a 3-page document explaining the current state of the organization’s design needs, and how a new team could fulfill them. As a part of this process, I spoke to every design manager within the organization to understand the scope of their work and how CxD could support it. We then presented the document to our VP as well as our HR business representative. It was approved immediately, creating the team I’d proposed along with 4 headcount. I was also asked to manage this new team, hire and onboard them as quickly as possible.
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At the time, our recruiting team was struggling to hire designers quickly enough, particularly CxDs, averaging approximately 6 months to fill an open CxD role. Note that this occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant we needed to change our interview process to be fully virtual. I coordinated with our recruiting team to make this transition as seamless as possible for both the candidates and interviewers. Using my large professional network, I brought many candidates into the recruiting pipeline.
Results:
I hired and onboarded 3 CxDs within 5 months, from February to July 2020. This rounded out my team of 4 CxDs (including the one who worked with me on Alexa Comms, who now reported into me). In the 2+ years I managed this team before a reorganization, I promoted 2 CxDs and we successfully launched new experiences on FireTV, the Alexa mobile app, and 2 new devices: Echo Show 10 and 15. I was also granted more headcount to grow the team to 6 full-time CxDs.
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I was later awarded a much larger team and ownership of the Alexa Home Productivity team, a multidisciplinary group of designers both CxD and UX. I was then promoted to Senior UX Manager owning core CxD and UX for Alexa+, growing a team to over 10 full-time designers and 10-15 contractors.
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"Lisa’s super power is her vision. She saw a hole in the org, pitched the idea of a DDG VUI team, then built it from scratch—all during a pandemic. She created an environment to ensure her team thrives, making them feel empowered and genuinely supported every single day, both personally and professionally."
Robbie Pickard,
Senior CxD
(direct report)
"Lisa is the GOAT of managers in conversational AI. Under her leadership, I felt truly seen and valued. Her blend of intelligence, humanity, and empathy is a breath of fresh air. I’d work with her again in a heartbeat."
Soo-Jin Lee,
Gen AI Conversation Designer
(direct report)
"Lisa excels at calmly navigating chaotic situations, providing clear direction to her team. She's a strong advocate who empowers her designers, while skillfully cutting through noise to identify and solve core problems."
Christina Collins,
Principal UX Designer
(partner)
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"Lisa genuinely cares about her reports, their career aspirations, and their personal lives. She is great at taking on leadership requests and prioritizing what will make the most impact. She balances this by protecting her people from burnout and wasted tasks."
Mary Wright,
Senior CxD
(direct report)