Alchemy Design System

The absence of a design system left 70+ internal apps non-compliant with WCAG and visually fragmented, eroding operator efficiency and brand trust.

Role:Lead UX Designer

Employer: Amazon

Scale:70+ Fulfillment web tools, 1.2 k active internal users

Focus:Design-System Lead

The Problem

Alchemy’s fledgling Figma library was incomplete and off-brand, the website felt dated, and no clear path existed for designers to contribute. Leadership asked me to fill that gap as the first dedicated designer on an eight-engineer team.

My Mandate

Rebuild the Figma design-system library from the ground up.
Define the Alchemy brand (logo, voice, visual language) and refresh the marketing site.
Create a contribution and onboarding model that scales to dozens of designers.

What I Actually Found

Library debt

Core components were detached, inconsistent, and mis-aligned with Alchemy’s product vision.

Underestimated scope

Branding and website work required foundational strategy—identity, audience, messaging—not just pixels.

Collaboration hurdles

Designers across five product spaces had different workflows and skill levels.

Strategy & Execution

Pillar	Key Moves
Design-System Rebuild	• Re-architected the library with atomic components, tokens, and naming conventions. • Paired with a Junior Designer; codified our learnings into a public “Design-System Guide.”
Brand & Website	• Led discovery workshops to define identity, audience, and messaging. • Shipped a new logo, theme, and quick-win visual updates that earned rave reviews.
Contribution Model	• Standardized Figma Branches as a federated workflow. • Authored a step-by-step contribution guide and mentored the first successful branch (Topbar component) into the global library.

F.1 Usable library with atom-level components adopted by 70-plus apps

F.2 Developed a cohesive color system aligned with our brand values, ensuring accessibility, consistency, and visual clarity across Alchemy’s products and documentation.

F.3 Brand clarity and an updated website that resonates with customers and stakeholders.

F.4 Growing community now self-serve via branches; contribution guide reduces review back-and-forth.

What is next

Finalize brand roll-out (logo lock-ups, color tokens, website CMS hand-off).

Automate component health reporting to track adoption and debt.

Continue refining the contribution flow as more teams onboard.

Key Takeaway

By pairing evidence-driven interviews with a rigorous governance model, I transformed a fragmented UI landscape into a scalable system that boosted accessibility by 32 points and cut engineering effort by nearly a quarter—all while up-skilling the team and aligning executives on a single, measurable vision of product quality.

KPI	Before	After	Delta
Accessibility score (axe-core)	65%	97%	+32 pp
Average feature build time	5.1 days	3.9 days	-24%
Duplicate CSS/JS per app	14k lines	4k lines	-71%
Designer onboarding time	2 weeks	3 days	-78%

These KPIs reflect progress toward my north-star goal: building a scalable, accessible design system that improved usability and team efficiency.

User Journey

STAGES	Discovery & Alignment	System Creation	Contribution Setup	Documentation & Rollout	Adoption & Maintenance
TOUCHPOINTS	Stakeholder interviews Audit of existing UI patterns	Atomic design frameworks Figma library development Branding workshops	Setting contribution model Design governance Team workshops	Documentation site Sprint planning Design syncs with engineers	Design reviews Team feedback loops Iterative improvements
ACTIONS	Identify gaps Highlight inconsistencies	Build components Sketch branding Conduct sprint reviews	Submit components Review patterns Adopt process	Reference docs Navigate patterns Implement components	Apply system to new products Refine components Align brand visuals
Thinking	Curious about the scope of building a design system, optimistic based on feedback from users	In what ways can the system scale Early feedback loops with engineering to align component decisions	What type of governance model should I go with? What are ways to engage platform leader?	Ramping design sprint for myself and my design team based on promised look. What milestones are happening?	How do we communicate what we have built, internally/externally? Stepping into brand and system evangelist roles, driving internal communication flows
Feeling	Frustration, confusion, desire for order Concerned about the things we don't know Based on stakeholder's great intuition and guidance or leadership	Energized as system gains momentum Exploratory in a way to build out components Collaborative feedback cycle with engineers	Empowered, by user engagement Engaged in all design sessions Anxious, as I've not had design sessions with user groups	Informed, from cross-discipline guidance Confident according to the design team Hopeful, as designer's increase capabilities	Proud of the new product Investment is in leveraging pass-off Liaising with other product using components
Experience
OPPORTUNITIES	Obtain clarity Define vision Align on need	Define brand identity Systematize UI Encourage participation	Obtain team ownership Promote scalability Enable consistency	Strengthen system adoption Refine UI consistency Scale design language	Strengthen system adoption, refine UI consistency, scale design language

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