Hi, my name is Eric and I'm an enthusiastic interaction designer living in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
I get a kick out of driving effective results by collaborating closely with people, developing solid strategies and tackling complex challenges together. Creating meaningful impact which leads to richer experiences is what I love to do.
Over the last years, I've been working in and across various agency, start-up and corporate contexts where I have gained extensive expertise in quickly analyzing situations, developing potential approaches and verifying concepts towards creating the best possible results.
I am inherently curious about people, their contextual conditions, personal needs and inherent challenges, especially when this results high-energy work processes, fast learning iterations and sharing the excitement of making great things happen together.
About Me
Born in 1985 near San Diego, California and raised cross-culturally around Munich, Germany I learned from an early age on that there is always more than one answer, approach and solution to a given problem. I also noticed that trying to find the best one can be quite exciting, which made design naturally intriguing to me ever since.
My ability to look at the many challenges we face in our daily lives from more than one contextual stance has since then grown with me and shaped my deep fascination with how they affect us in our personal experiences. Questioning the status quo to understand how to meaningfully improve situations and create better possibilities has always been part of my personal core beliefs.
My later studies in product- and interaction design enhanced my professional potential to explore and pursue ideas derived from a wide range of inspirations while learning more about the impact they can create along the way.
Naturally, I am curious about people’s perceptions and love to discover new insights about their experiences which are often hidden within their own contexts. No matter how big or minuscule they may appear at first, I have learned to pay attention to details since they can be essential to inspire new ideas and lead to creating solutions that can bring truly valuable contributions to our world.
As my vivid imagination constantly keeps my mind traveling, I love following suit by exploring the world to satisfy my curiosity through gaining new experiences and finding new inspiration wherever I go. So far, I have greatly enjoyed immersing myself into unknown situations and living in various places and cultures throughout Central America, USA, and Europe. For the last 7 something years, I have been happily residing in the Netherlands and am looking forward to the adventures which are yet to come.
Expertise
Over the past years, I have built my professional experience in multiple design disciplines by studying and working in various international contexts. The following section provides a brief overview of the most common tools and abilities I frequently use when working on my ideas and design projects:
Methods
- User Interviews
- Context Mapping
- Focus Groups
- Customer Journeys
- Storyboarding
- Service Blueprints
- Wireframes
- Interactive Prototypes
- HTML / CSS
- Usability Testing
- Presentations
Tools
- Pen + Paper
- Sketch
- InVision
- Zeplin
- Marvin
- Framer
- Adobe Suite
- Sublime Text
- Google Analytics
- Usabilla
- VWO
Languages
- ENGLISH - native
- GERMAN - native
- SPANISH - conversational
- DUTCH - conversational
- FRENCH - basics
Experience
- Incremental + Radical innovation
- Ecommerce optimization
- App / SaaS development
- UX/UI Implementation
- Design system development
- Process / Flow analysis
- Information architecture
- High-fidelity prototyping
- In-situ user research
- Agile / Scrum
- OKR / KPI frameworks
- Project management
Experience
Funda - Amsterdam, NL
Senior User Experience Designer
My role at Funda initially focused on supporting the existing product teams in strengthening their individual UX impacts and developing a shared UX strategy to guide and align shared efforts across product development in a common direction. Aside of collaborating closely with various consumer- and partner-facing teams and stakeholders to develop, test and implement better solutions for our users, internal improvements concerning design and product development were co-created which resulted in applied principles, guidelines and processes.
After creating extensive UX analysis reports ad-hoc which informed and guided several key B2C strategic decisions, I joined consumer-facing Search & Find team to directly support the implementation of new UX improvements.
Beyond this, I have been advising marketing and communications with the relaunch of Funda’s content platform and collaborating closely with the dedicated UX designers and our internal research team to support the development of a seamless 360 degree user experience.
- • In-depth expert analysis of customer journey and UX touch points
- • Development of strategic innovation recommendations and concept proposals
- • Development of cross-platform UX concepts for scaling B2C service impact
- • Quantitative and qualitative design research and concept validation
- • Development of internal product development guidelines
- • Incremental implementation of UX improvements in core product teams
Floorplanner - Rotterdam, NL
Senior User Experience Designer
My responsibilities at Floorplanner were to support the enthusiastic team in strengthening the strategic focus and solving crucial UX challenges which they encountered when beginning to scale their processes. Upon joining the team as the creative rational amongst dedicated developers and decision makers, we together focused on improving the company's core product, the Floorplan editor. Our close collaboration focused on improving the overall flow, compatibility while satisfying client-specific target requirements of an international user base. The established procedures of direct and frequent exploration, co-creation and direct implementation became key benefactors of the shared efforts and have contributed to reaching essential achievements together swiftly and releasing improvements to users in an increasing frequency.
- • Analysing and defining a guideline of UX challenges to solve
- • Supporting the development of an internal design system
- • Creating concept proposals with close collaboration of stakeholders
- • Developing and iteratively refining concepts into final solutions
- • Ensuring the quality and realiability of UX standards throughout the implementation
- • Investigating strategies to further scale the company's ecosystem and business impact
Coolblue - Rotterdam, NL
User Experience Designer
Upon joining Coolblue I became responsible for researching and designing solutions within the domains focussing on shipping and delivery as well as customer service. The design activities involved customer-oriented solutions, such as developing new feature implementations and optimizing UX flows in the Coolblue webshop in close collaboration with front- and backend development teams. Furthermore, I worked on developing back-office applications to enhance internal employee workflows, improving data processes to support business analysis and automation purposes.
- • Extensive analysis of cross-domain service processes
- • Concept development to improve the customer check-out flow
- • Redesigning the Self-service customer experience
- • Development of custom applications for our Customer Service employees
- • User testing of internal back-office applications
- • Support the development of Coolblue's Design System
Freelance - NL / DE
User Experience Designer and Consultant
After my start-up experiences, I followed my aspirations of combining traveling and collaborating with international partners on a freelance basis. During this time, I improved my coding skills, pursued some personal projects and found new inspiration through working on some design experiments with some dear old friends of mine.
- • Design consultations in mainly PR-related projects
- • Improving my coding and prototyping skills (HTML/CSS)
- • Developing web concepts and building sites like this one
- • Experimental projects with other independent designers
DIO Design / Fysio24 - Rotterdam, NL
User Experience Designer
My initial focus at the multidisciplinary DIO Design revolved around qualitative user research and conceptualization in the domains of Digital Health and Persuasive Design. During this time I supported a series of internal as well as client projects and in several professional trainings, start-up bootcamps and hackathons. As DIO Design spun-off Fysio24 as it's independent start-up I bacame its main creative actor and shaped it throughout the Rockstart Accelerator Program in Digital Health Innovation. The founder's idea started was based on creating a mobile telephysiotherapy service for runners to help them prevent and recover from running injuries in a DIY manner. Its concept was gradually developed from an early prototypes to a digital service with its own a web content platform which allowed to sell expert health advice to runners in need of a easier way to solve their problems independently.
- • Concept development from Wireframes to a Beta App + Website
- • Development of a unique CMS for the content creation
- • Pitch presentation decks for various target group events
- • Active project planning with multiple on-/off-site team partners
- • Creation of Guerilla Marketing + Social media content
- • Epilepic - a personal encouragement app for newly-diagnosed teens with epilepsy
- • Uplift - a VR relaxation concept for improving the long-distance flight experience
- • Earning kudos for my pitch presentations at our business partner meetings and larger international audiences.
Vapor Studio - Encinitas, USA
Product Design Intern
My activities here focussed on contributing product design and retail concepts as well as assisting in the development of fashion products for brands like Alpinestars, Adidas, Scosche and Swenyo.
- • Developing concepts for cycling-related smartphone accessories
- • Designing a series of innovative travel luggage collections
- • Creating a new interior fashion brand product collection
- • Assisting in the development of a series of sports shoes
Luis Eslava Studio - Valencia, ES
Product Design Intern
During this period I was working as part of an international team of designers on various conceptual projects for local and international brands.
It expanded my perspective on design processes, cultural understanding and life in general substantially.
- • Designing interior lighting concepts for LZF
- • Creating a series of interactive furniture concepts for in-store usage for Vialis
- • Working on-site on a conceptual exhibit experience at Otrascosas de Villas-Rosàs, Barcelona
- • Designing the successful grand opening exhibition of the local art & design showroom Hat Gallery
Education
During my product design studies, my focus was set on crafting sophisticated solutions which were inspired by the often incomplete relationship between users and the physical objects they used to achieve a certain goal. As my curiosity insatiably grew towards gaining a more holistic understanding of user-centered design, my interaction design master studies followed at the TU Delft as this step enabled me to explore this context much more deeply.
Ever since, I have directed my professional skills towards enhancing user experiences through working with scientific methodologies while aiming to strategically create impact on an increasingly holistic scale.
Design for Interaction - Master of Science
Technical University Delft, NetherlandsThesis: Fysio Compass - increasing active patient engagement in telephysiotherapy
Personal focus of this education:- • User-centered research & design methodologies
- • Design for Emotion and Subjective Well-being
- • Persuasive Design Strategies
- • Interaction & Technology Design
Product Design - Bachelor of Arts
University of Applied Sciences Schwäbisch Gmünd, GermanyThesis: Acoustic communication in product design world
Main take-aways from this education period:- • Invaluable experience from international internships (SPAIN + USA) and exchange semester (COSTA RICA)
- • Project Management & Presentation Skills
- • Design Psychology & Human Cognition
- • Product Design Crafting Skills (CAD/DTP/Prototyping)
- • Materials & Design Processes
Honors & Awards
- Winning concept - Team W.E.I.R.A. - Service Jam Rotterdam 2016
- Jury member of Interaction Design course evaluation, Rotterdam School of Management 2016
Events I enjoyed participating in
- Funda Hackathon (January 2020) Amsterdam, NL
- Nielsen Norman UX Conference (October 2019) Berlin, DE
- Global Service Design Conference (October 2017) Madrid, ES
- Coolblue Hackathon (October 2017) Beukenhof, NL
- Engage Rotterdam Service Design Meet-ups (2013-2016) Rotterdam, NL
- Service Jam (March 2016) Rotterdam, NL
- “Hack Epilepsy” Hackathon (April 2015) Bruxelles, BE
- Tiny Habits course on Design for Behavior Change by BJ Fogg (Sept 2014), online
- Digital Health Start-Up Bootcamp (June 2014) Berlin, DE
- Evolv Start-up Workshop (April 2014), Rotterdam
- Service Jam (March 2014) Amsterdam, NL
My work approach
Facing complex situations quickly incites me to strive for simple approaches that lead to positive contributions and strong results. Although this usually is not an easy endeavour, I greatly enjoy diving into a challenging topic and getting my hands dirty each time as I know there are hidden opportunities to be discovered, learned from and built upon together in every step of the process.
Although working in a strong team can clearly make this challenge a lot easier, more fun and above all more effective, I am no stranger to when the waters get choppy. For this reason, I focus on adapted strategies which enable me to complete my project goals reliably while ensuring a clear, comprehensible structure. This reaches from outlining a strong vision to challenge assumptions and facilitate concrete insights through analytical examination, up to setting actionable milestones and prioritizing tasks to reach the required design goals.
Empirically connecting the problem owner’s needs and limitations with the user’s intentions & desires is what I find key to developing truly rewarding solutions.
My healthy list habit and the urge to frequently reflect on the current progress keeps things accountable while allowing me to continuously optimize my process along the way.
This enables me to recognize potential problems clearly in advance and ensures the timely arrangement of adequate interventions as well as requesting concrete support before it becomes necessary.
I am always eager to optimize the shared process and help out wherever possible.
Being a social extrovert who highly values people's contribution to a great team spirit, I dearly enjoy meeting new people, sharing experiences and ideas and subsequently expanding the personal network frequently as well.
Enough about me already
I’m always curious about your views on things along with the challenges you are experiencing in your context.
Why not just start a conversation and see how I can help you solve things more easily? I'm looking forward to hearing from you.