Résumé

Kadie Despain

Director of Creative Strategy & Optimization. I lead creative strategy, UX, and content systems for Amazon and ecommerce brands, with a background in product UX leadership and brand design.

LinkedIn profile

01 Experience

Director of Creative Strategy & Optimization
AMZ Brand Solutions Mar 2025 – Present
- Lead creative strategy and optimization for Amazon-first and omnichannel ecommerce brands: product pages, Brand Stores, A+ content, and ad placements.
- Translate research, brand voice, and UX principles into creative direction and conversion-focused content.
- Build the systems and templates that let teams own and extend their content, including AI-assisted production with defined review steps.
UX Manager
3STEP Sports · PlayerFirst Jul 2023 – May 2025
- Led end-to-end UX across mobile and web for a youth sports platform, from research to delivery, with product and engineering.
- Designed the platform’s integrated CMS from the ground up: page creation and editing, templates, modules, brand customization, and Backend Settings.
- Led design of the PlayerFirst Pay App and the Club app redesign, and managed the design system shared across brands.
Lead UX Designer
3STEP Sports · PlayerFirst Nov 2022 – Jul 2023
- Led product design across mobile and web apps for high-volume sports operations, including admin dashboards and athlete-facing tools.
- Consolidated two legacy apps, Events and Staff, into one mobile platform, Access.
- Redesigned the UC Report recruiting app’s navigation, mobile usability, and data presentation.
Brand & Web Design Lead
Equinosis, LLC Mar 2016 – Nov 2022
- Led brand and web design for a global veterinary diagnostics company: the visual identity system across print, web, and events.
- Designed and built landing pages in WordPress and Shopify, and a training platform across Shopify and Moodle with custom-coded search.
- Built a taxonomy for the brand’s content library so it was easier to find and maintain.
Freelance Brand & Visual Designer
Self-employed Nov 2015 – Feb 2019
- Identity systems, marketing assets, and mobile app interfaces for early-stage startups and established brands.

02 Selected work

Designing a Multi-Brand CMS for Youth Sports
Designing shared page layouts, brand settings, and a reusable website editor for youth sports.
Password protected
From Consumer Research to Creative Strategy
Turning shopper research into messaging, creative direction, and a reusable content design system.
Password protected
Real Product, Generated Scenes
Art direction and product-image review for AI-assisted apparel content.
Password protected· In progress

03 Core capabilities

Creative strategy
UX / IA
Product design
Amazon & ecommerce content
Content systems
Design systems
Creative direction
AI-assisted production
Usability & prototyping

04 Education

Northeastern University
MPS, Digital Media: Interactive Design (Usability and Development)
2022
Central Michigan University
BA, Advertising
2015

05 Tools & platforms

Figma
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Miro
WordPress
Shopify
HTML & CSS
Claude
Gemini image tools

Kadie Despain

01 / Experience

Director of Creative Strategy & Optimization

UX Manager

Lead UX Designer

Brand & Web Design Lead

Freelance Brand & Visual Designer

02 / Selected work

03 / Core capabilities

04 / Education

Northeastern University

Central Michigan University

05 / Tools & platforms

Kadie Despain

01 / Experience

Director of Creative Strategy & Optimization

UX Manager

Lead UX Designer

Brand & Web Design Lead

Freelance Brand & Visual Designer

02 / Selected work

03 / Core capabilities

04 / Education

Northeastern University

Central Michigan University

05 / Tools & platforms

01 Experience

02 Selected work

03 Core capabilities

04 Education

05 Tools & platforms

01 Experience

02 Selected work

03 Core capabilities

04 Education

05 Tools & platforms