Hi, I’m Erica. I design experiences with humans in mind, guided by real stories and user needs.

What can I do for you?

  • Research

    The foundation of any great product or experience is research! To build a product or experience that is usable, delightful, and efficient, you need to understand who you are building it for and what they need. I have experience planning and conducting evaluative and generative research for the more specific user experience and the broader customer experience as a whole. I’ve led multiple research efforts from start to finish, promoting principles of human-centered design.

  • Design

    From journey maps and service blueprints to heuristic evaluations and wireframes, I have experience creating visual artifacts to convey research insights, outcomes, and recommendations. Having artifacts to support your product documentation is an invaluable part of keeping teams on the same page and working towards common goals. With a strong background in graphic design and branding, I know how to make products look stunning, too.

  • Leadership

    I’ve spent a lot of time learning how to lead with influence and empathy, and I’ve cultivated holistic teams. I’ve written job descriptions, interview rubrics, and hired diverse skill sets in the design field. I’ve run an employee resource group and received awards for raising CX maturity at multiple organizations, mostly because I love helping people and talking about my craft! My leadership style is curious, warm, and enthusiastic. My communication and conflict resolution skills have been honed over many years to uplift teams and keep morale high.

  • Project Management

    Having a project plan for any research, design, or product effort is vital for its success. I run intake workshops to identify and understand stakeholders and their needs, and ensure their desired outcomes are part of the foundation of all our efforts. Along with task management in kanban boards and visual roadmaps, I can break down a project timeline and get teams on the same page.

See my work

Some of my work

  • Solving CISA’s low engagement rate with critical infrastructure partners

    Evaluative and generative research, journey mapping, heuristic evaluation, usability testing, website redesign

    View Case Study

  • Decreasing user burden and improving customer relationships with the BOS Modernization Project at DHS

    Discovery, user and stakeholder interviews, usability testing

    View Case Study

  • Branding and identity for The Cheese Cartel, a local cheese and wine shop in the DMV

    Logo design, brand identity, color palette, hand lettering

    View Project

My work & process

    • Maryland Institute College of Art, 2013, Baltimore, MD: Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Concentration in Book Arts (4 year degree) 

    • Nielsen Norman Group, 2024: UX Master's Certification, specialties in UX Management and UX Research, June 2024 (105 hours) 

    • General Assembly, 2019: Certification in User Experience Design (40 hours) 

    • Also, books! I make a habit of adding to my professional library whenever I can.

  • I’ve been working professionally in design since 2010! That’s 16 years of combined experience in design industry across B2C and federal spaces, 10 years of experience working with federal systems, and 9 years of experience working in a remote team environment. I’ve also run my own business since 2010.

  • I create project plans, track milestones, raise blockers, and set meeting cadence with product team members.

    It’s a priority for me to understand product team members, their skill sets and responsibilities, and create a holistic approach to CX/UX that involves other team members throughout product development. I like to spread awareness of user and stakeholder perspectives, needs, and pain points with a collaborative approach.

    With an Agile, multidisciplinary approach to CX/UX, I enable constant iteration and forward movement, and the ability to work parallel to development workstreams. 

  • I use a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to thoroughly understand the problem space, users, stakeholders, and their needs, pain points, the customer journey, and holistic experience.

    I’ve made customer experience surveys, including designing surveys, creating dashboards, analyzing results, and sharing findings to product team and key stakeholders.

    Much of my time is spent analyzing customer feedback, translating research findings into shared insights and action items to improve product or service delivery, and collaborating with my product team to scope out solutions aligned with user needs and stakeholder goals. Occasionally I still create design systems and create UI designs and interactive prototypes with figma.

    I lead projects from start to finish, independently and in design teams, tying research to business strategy when needed! CX design and research are revenue drivers, not a cost center.

  • Absolutely not :)