hI, I'M ERIC
As a designer, what interests me most is getting to the core of a project so I can understand the challenge that needs to be solved.
My process usually starts by separating the request from the reason behind it. I want to understand what the work is really supposed to accomplish, what already carries meaning, and whether the request lines up with the goals.
From there, I develop a recommended direction and bring it into the conversation. That process has been shaped by a career that has not taken a particularly straight path.
A WINDING ROAD
Teaching design taught me how to guide people toward making connections and understanding a project’s purpose. It also shaped the way I think about critique. Good critique is collaborative.
A designer needs to be willing to hear where the work may not be succeeding but also understand the reasoning well enough to explain a decision when the feedback overlooks part of the problem. The point is not to defend the work for the sake of being right. It is to improve the design.
Working in communications expanded that process. Design became part of a larger communication challenge, often serving broad audiencesand different purposes while being developed alongside people with verydifferent expertise. The work and systems also have to continue functioning afterthey leave the designer’s hands, when someone else needs to use them, adaptthem, or carry them forward without the original designer guiding everyapplication.High-visibility public work has changed the way I thinkabout success. People can dislike the information they receive even when it hasbeen communicated clearly, while something can look polished and still fail tomeet its purpose.Different challenges rarely call for the same kind ofanswer. Sometimes one application is enough. At other times, the work needs tolive across several formats. I value being able to move between different kindsof design because it gives me more ways to support the project’s goal.At this point in my career, I’m looking for asenior role where thinking and making stay connected. I want enough involvementto help shape the direction while still staying close to the design itself. Theteam matters to me too. I want to work with people I enjoy collaborating withand trust enough to turn to for thoughtful critique or another perspective,knowing they can expect the same from me.
COMMUNICATIONS
Working in communications expanded that process. Design became part of a larger communication challenge, often serving broad audiences and different purposes while being developed alongside people with very different expertise.
The work and systems also have to continue functioning after they leave the designer’s hands, when someone else needs to use them, adapt them, or carry them forward without the original designer guiding every application.
High-visibility public work has changed the way I think about success. People can dislike the information they receive even when it has been communicated clearly, while something can look polished and still fail to meet its purpose.
finding a team
Different challenges rarely call for the same kind of answer. Sometimes one application is enough. At other times, the work needs to live across several formats. I value being able to move between different kinds of design because it gives me more ways to support the project’s goal.
At this point in my career, I’m looking for a senior role where thinking and making stay connected. I want enough involvement to help shape the direction while still staying close to the design itself.
The team matters to me. I want to work with people I enjoy collaborating with and trust enough to turn to for thoughtful critique or another perspective, knowing they can expect the same from me.
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