experience strategy & service design

Erica queen

Thinking end-to-end about the problems that matter to people - both inside and out of the companies that serve them.


how I WORK

Discover

Observe and listen to people talk about their “painful now.” I focus on what people have tried in the past, why they switch brands or services, and the context and influences that matter most. My arsenal of methods include:

  • Market research

  • Trend & competitor analysis

  • Jobs-To-Be-Done

  • Outcome-Driven Innovation

  • Switch Interviews

  • Other mixed-methods as the project calls for it!

Erica is running a focus group and stands at the front of a conference room in front of a whiteboard.  Four people sit at the long wooden table, talking to her about their internal processes.

Conducted an on-site focus group as part of a field research project in Manila, Philippines, 2023.

evaluate

Design, test, and iterate on cheap, imperfect prototypes. We’re not aiming for visually stunning. Instead, we look to convey value and accurate information. The goal is to uncover what doesn’t work in a concept before it’s built, not to validate that a person’s idea is “right”.

  • Pitch decks

  • Storyboards

  • Interactive Figma prototypes

  • “Wizard of Oz” experiences

  • Low-fidelity service prototypes

A screenshot of a concept pitch. The screen shows features for a rewards program.

Sample of a pitch deck created for concept evaluation.

COMMUNICATE

Visualize the “hopeful future” by refining the imperfect prototype and crafting recommendations for product experimentation. I help teams overcome fears and roadblocks to speed up organizational adoption.

  • Start-to-finish change management

  • Stakeholder mapping & interviewing

  • Connecting the Insight <-> Decision dots

  • Crafting hypothesis roadmaps

  • C-Suite presentations & demos

Concept poster to communicate the value of an innovative news product.



About me

It all started when…

I grew up in the backwoods of North Georgia, dreaming about life beyond the cow pastures. I read a lot of books, fished a ton, and eventually went off to college where I tried out ad design, English literature, and settled on journalism as my focus. I love hearing people’s stories and writing about their experiences.

However, once I left school I got a bit sidetracked: I tried marketing and taught myself web development from scratch, but neither was just the right fit. Agency life taught me that my sweet spot is a balance of both analytical and creative endeavors that focus on understanding people and how to serve their needs. UX was a perfect fit.

I drove across the country from Florida to Seattle to study at the University of Washington. There, I completed my Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction + Design and began working in UX for gaming studios, design agencies, and startups. Since then, I’ve traveled the world conducting research, learning new cultures, and experimenting with new ways to solve problems. I’m currently an Associate Director of Experience Strategy at HelloFresh in Berlin, Germany.