Howdy, I’m Erica
Cross-Functional Operations & Product Strategist
My Mission: Transformative Growth
In a way that’s sustainable — for everyone.
When you work with me, you can expect a Customer-Led Growth / User-Centered Strategy approach and purpose-driven, data-informed solutions to the business problems keeping you up at night.
SOLUTIONS THAT TRANSCEND SIMPLE ARTIFACTS: STRATEGIC APPROACHES THAT ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OUTCOMES
I bridge the gap between complex business strategy, technical execution, and customer reality. Over a 25-year career, I have managed a $30M/year enterprise portfolio , realized $23M+ in systemic cost-savings , scaled cross-functional teams, and transformed early-stage ambiguity into scalable market solutions.
There are a few things I don’t believe in anymore, like pushing pixels or launching guesswork.
I know what it takes to successfully craft solutions that mitigate risk and solve for complex challenges — on the first try. So try me.
Expertise & Services
Fine-tune operations, elevate the brand, & delight your audiences
Fractional
Leadership
A hands-on player/coach who partners with stakeholders to devise and orchestrate a plan, supports her team, while keeping leadership in-the-know.
Business &
Product Strategy
Methods that leverage human-centered design to simplify complex challenges, define business objectives, and create actionable plans to meet organizational goals on tight timelines.
Operations and
Systems Design
From designing back stage organizational processes, to designing and deploying user-facing Design Language Systems, the goal is creating efficient, cohesive ecosystems.
Branding &
Creative
Capture brand essence and tell a compelling brand story. Comprehensive brand platform development, communication strategy, visual identity systems, and creative direction.
Product & Service Architecture, Operational Blueprinting
Holistic, end-to-end, dual-sided service and product design — from concept and evaluative user research, to launching iterative solutions that scale over time.
UX / UI
Design
Launching thoughtful, user-centered digital experiences that are purposeful, clean and functional, created using a process and toolset that are lean and intentional.
Experience
A timeline of career highlights with case studies and key accomplishments
Founder, Managing Director
Serious Mission
An business management strategy & innovation consultancy offering Fractional Leadership, Product Strategy & Design, and Branding Services, adapted specifically to serve SMBs, startups, and scale-ups in hyper-growth mode, or enterprises with product & design team gaps — when cross-collaboration, agility and mission-critical results are non-negotiable.
Current
Leading a team of designers and producers to create dual-facing (agent & member) native mobile and responsive web SaaS experiences serving over 14 million members. Spearheading product strategy for three of the most complex and highly regulated lines of business in the bank – Consumer Lending, Real Estate Mortgage, and Debt Recovery – with the product portfolio exceeding $30million.
2021 – 2025
Director, Product Design
A Fortune 50 Bank
Partnering with functional leaders to redefine cross-collaborative services while establishing a new human-centered design UX practice, including new service SKUs. Collaborating with Operations and Sales, crafting sales enablement materials and leading capabilities presentations to drive demand for services. Leading HCD engagements to create impact for top tier customers including Palo Alto, Microsoft, Visa, Google Cloud, Sephora, Epic Games, & others.
2019 – 2021
UX Lead, North America
Khoros (formerly Lithium & Spredfast)
Establishing and expanding the Austin team by 5x over 18 months for this rapidly growing HCD-driven business management consultancy’s cross-functional teams, while spearheading new business development and establishing our operational approach, including a new Service Design practice, while leading client engagements. Led cross-functional teams and consulting engagements with two cornerstone clients, McKinsey Digital and Accenture Products and Platforms.
2017 – 2018
Experience Director
Drawn
Founding a design services consultancy offering Fractional Leadership, Strategy, and Design services to a range of Fortune 500 organizations including McKinsey Digital, Accenture, Dell Experience Design Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EA Games Worldwide Customer Experience Group, Zynga Games and a range of respected design strategy & innovation agencies in New York and Austin.
2014 – 2021
Founder, Managing Director
Serious Mission
Case Study: This Client said “Tell us how to become the industry leader within the next 3-5 years”
Key projects include: launching a new Delta Airlines booking experience, bringing the Citibank digital ecosystem to WCAG compliance, creating a State Farm banking and insurance app for the new Windows 10 platform, crafting an award-winning experimental travel experience for SFO Airport including sculptural kinetic data visualization installation, digital kiosk, mobile experience, plus many more emerging experiences.
2011 – 2014
UX Architect
Publicis Razorfish
What’s your mission? Looking for a co-pilot?
Democratizing Design to Boost Economic Empowerment
Graduate thesis research project in the Communication Design MFA program at Texas State University
I believe that practicing design is a life skill that everyone can – and should – learn because it has the power and potential to uplift the most economically disadvantaged and at-risk individuals and communities. But when, where and how do we go about teaching folks to develop this skillset?
With the rise of generative AI tools like Claude Code, and ai-powered design tools like Figma and Canva, more people than ever before are dipping their toes into the design craft. It’s an exciting time to see this democratization of design happening in real time.
While we know there are aspects of design that should generally be relegated to the professionals – what aspects, exactly? What is the value of design in this new era of democratized design? Where are the limits of democratization? How do we snap the line between professional practice and design by the every-day person?
Designers have an opportunity at this very moment to sharpen and shape the discipline’s focus through both professional and academic discourse around the democratization of design – to articulate a united response, rationale, and rally cry in a thoughtful, cohesive way – and champion design’s business value in certain terms.
Good to Know
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All of the above, with a hybrid model preferred. I believe face-time is important, particularly in the beginning stages of a project. For projects outside of the Austin metro, I’m happy to arrange travel as needed.
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I’m fortunate to have built a network of top tier professionals who I can pull-in to support any given project demand. Serious Mission operates on a flex-to-fit model, meaning if your project requires a team, I will source the right talent, including a project manager, as needed.
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We will select the toolset that best complements both the project requirements and organization’s needs.
We have expertise with industry standard design tools including Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva Studio, and others.
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In harmony with my mission to democratize design, I like to make sure that services are financially feasible for organizations large and small, so I offer a range of ways to structure an engagement so it fits the project need and client budget. Rate is determined based on factors such as length of time commitment and level of expertise required.
Extra Small Projects: $85 – $150 / hr
Small to Medium Projects: $675 – $1000 / day
Medium to Large: $3000/week & up
Extra large and long-term projects: $9,000/month & up
For help sizing your project, schedule a 30-minute chat
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Currently we have immediate availability. To discuss your needs, reach out and schedule a 30-minute chat.
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Yes, I offer a structured mentorship program in 6-month increments tailored to the early to mid-career design professional. I currently have capacity for one individual who is looking to clarify their career path, level-up communication skills, and grow as a leader.
Interested? Email your proposal to erica@srsmission.com and book a 30-minute chat.