I’m Erika
a designer, artist, and creative explorer.
I’ve always been drawn to creative expression, from teaching myself Photoshop as a kid to creating graphics, logos, paintings, writing, and eventually designing full digital experiences. That curiosity naturally evolved into a career where I get to dive deep into how things work, solve complex problems, and design solutions that genuinely improve people’s lives.
Music, especially punk rock, has been a constant influence throughout my life. Its honesty, rawness, and integrity shape how I think and how I design. I ask questions to bring clarity, I challenge assumptions, I listen closely, and I design with intention and purpose. Whether I’m working on aviation safety, healthcare, utilities, or enterprise tools, I focus on understanding the real problem and creating intuitive experiences that streamline complex workflows and enable clearer, more confident decision-making.
I thrive in teams that trust each other, welcome new ideas, and build solutions together. I value collaboration grounded in mutual respect, shared ownership, and aligned goals. I’m looking for a remote friendly, mission driven team where I can design meaningful products and continue advancing my craft.
My design journey
User Experience Specialist at Boeing
Aviation was a new domain, and understanding the problem space was essential. I owned UX for specific analytics and training related products within a larger design team, supporting analysts, safety teams, and leadership. Through interviews and synthesis, I clarified user needs and aligned the team around the true purpose of the work, helping shift priorities away from executing requests toward solving the right problems.
That clarity translated into impact. I designed analytics and visualizations that made complex safety data easier to explore and act on, enabling faster decision making and clearer identification of risk areas and performance gaps. I also worked on training and grading workflows, produced functional specifications, and contributed to design standards that reduced ambiguity across design and engineering. Alongside this, I collaborated in Boeing’s AI Working Group to explore AI supported UX and establish early guidelines, while independently investigating AI-driven search and discovery for analytics.
2022-2025
Agency Senior UX Designer at Merkle
Agency work pushed me into fast, high-stakes environments with demanding clients and complex ecosystems. I owned end to end UX for multiple client engagements at once, primarily focused on e-commerce and transactional experiences for both web and native apps. My work spanned consumer brands and utilities, requiring clear rationale, justified decisions, and close collaboration across design, engineering, and stakeholders.
That pace and accountability sharpened my ability to design systems meant to scale and be handed off. I worked extensively within the Focus Brands ecosystem, supporting experiences across brands like Cinnabon, Jamba, Auntie Anne’s, and Schlotzsky’s, where designs needed to be precise, well documented, and maintainable by external teams. This experience emphasized the importance of detailed documentation, clear design rationale, and building systems developers could inherit and evolve.
2021-2022
Lead UX Designer at OPIE Software
I expanded my role from designing systems to guiding decisions across the team. I mentored another designer, delegated work, and helped establish clearer standards for design rationale, documentation, and collaboration so teams could align around a shared design direction.
2020-2021
Becoming the first UX Designer at OPIE Software
This role marked the shift from contributing to code to owning the design of an entire system by establishing UX as a core part of product decision making. I led the redesign of a complex legacy medical platform, introduced research and testing practices, and worked closely with clinicians to ensure design decisions reflected real workflows and expectations.
2018-2019
Front end developer at OPIE Software
Developed production code, gaining firsthand experience with how design decisions impact engineering.
2017-2018
Learning to code
Completed a coding bootcamp and worked with a real client, gaining early exposure to development workflows.
2016-2017
Freelance Graphic Designer
Designed branding, posters, brochures, and other marketing materials for small businesses online.
2014-2016
Graphic Design formal education
Trained in typography, layout, and visual systems through formal design education (AA Graphic Design).
2009-2013
Turning creativity into client work
Created and sold custom digital portraits online, learning early client communication.
2006-2008
Discovering visual design through gaming communities
Taught myself Photoshop and Illustration and started designing graphics for gaming teams.
2005-2006
Outside of design, I’m usually exploring something, creatively or out in the world. I paint, stargaze, and spend a lot of time in nature, whether that’s long walks, kayaking, or camping. These moments slow me down, sharpen my observation, and are often where my best thinking happens.
I’m drawn to experiences and ideas that shift perspective. New places, sci-fi, cosmic horror, and music all reflect the same curiosity that drives my work: questioning assumptions, staying curious, and finding meaning through design.
