Howdy, I’m Erica
Designer. Researcher. Strategist.
My Mission: Transformative Growth
In a way that’s sustainable
— for everyone.
When you work with me, you can expect a human-centered approach and purpose-driven, data-backed solutions to the business problems keeping you up at night.
SOLUTIONS THAT TRANSCEND SIMPLE ARTIFACTS: STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OUTCOMES
I’m a player/coach who came up in the .com boom era, experienced the bust, and have stayed curious, thirsty and busy since — there are a few things I don’t believe in anymore, like pushing pixels or launching guesswork. I’m a T-shaped design generalist with a specialty in Service Design who’s led teams at a range of organizations, from mid-size startups to Fortune 50 enterprise product teams, and I know what it takes to successfully craft solutions that mitigate risk and solve for complex challenges — on the first try. Try me.
Expertise & Services
Elevate your brand & delight users
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, meet business objectives, and realize organizational goals on tight timelines.
Systems
Design
From back stage processes, to designing and deploying user-facing Design Language Systems for 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 Design
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
User-centered digital experiences that are both 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
Head of Design
Serious Mission
HCD-powered management consulting offering Fractional Leadership, Strategy, and Design Services adapted to small and medium orgs and startups in hyper-growth mode — when agility and mission-critical results are non-negotiable.
Current
Design Director
A Fortune 50 Bank
Leading a team of 6 designers and producers to create dual-facing SaaS experiences serving over 14 million members. Spearheading design strategy for 3 of the most complex and highly regulated lines of business in the bank — Consumer Lending, Real Estate Mortgage, and Debt Recovery.
2021 – 2025
Case Study: Debt Recovery, With Heart? →
Design Director
Drawn
Partnering with functional leads to define cross-collaborative service offerings. Establishing a new design practice and providing sales enablement to drive sales of design services. Leading HCD engagements to drive results for enterprise customers including Microsoft, Visa, Google, and others.
2019 – 2021
Leading a team of 6 designers and producers to create dual-facing SaaS experiences serving over 14 million members. Spearheading design strategy for 3 of the most complex and highly regulated lines of business in the bank — Consumer Lending, Real Estate Mortgage, and Debt Recovery.
2014 – 2016
Founder, Head of Design
Serious Mission
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 installation experience for SFO Airport, and much more.
Publicis Razorfish
2011 – 2014
UX Designer
Case Study: Crafting the State Farm “Pocket Agent” app for the new Windows 10 platform →
What’s your mission?
Democratizing Design for
Economic Empowerment
Graduate research & thesis work in the Communication Design 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 economically disadvantaged and at-risk individuals and communities. But how do we go about teaching this skill?
And there are aspects of design that should generally be designated for professional practice – but what are they and how do we define them? How do we navigate the line between professional practice and design by the lay-person, particularly with the rise in agency afforded by tools like Canva and generative AI? Designers have an opportunity to sharpen the discipline’s focus by uniting to articulate our rationale in a cohesive way.
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 if needed.
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We will select the toolset that is best for both the project requirements and organization’s needs. We have ample experience with Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva Studio, and more.
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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 or org need. Standard rate for one dedicated designer depends on the time commitment and level of expertise required – the longer the commitment, the better the rate:
Hourly Rate: $85 – $150
Day Rate: $675 – $1000
Weekly Rate: $3000 & up
Monthly Rate: $10,000 & up -
Currently we have immediate availability. Reach out and schedule a time to discuss your project needs!
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Yes, I offer a structured mentorship 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? Send your proposal and book a 30-minute chat.