My name is Erik Wingren.
I develop interactive brand and product propositions that are informed and inspired by people’s behavior and experience.
- I identify design opportunities by observing and listening to users, in action and in context.
- I define earlier stage prototypes by modeling user behavior, providing interaction concepts and specifying functional requirements.
- I refine and validate later stage prototypes, or existing products, through user testing.
- Rinse and repeat.
My work tends to fall within the realms of User Experience research and development for online/digital media, focusing on User Research, Interaction Design and Brand Strategy.
Born in Sweden, I came to San Francisco in the summer of 1997 for my second year of graduate studies with the KaosPilot University, fell in love with the city, its melting pot of nationalities and its “just-do-it!” mindset and decided to come back after graduation in 1999 to start a company.
For three and a half years I navigated the ups and downs of the company I co-founded — Basho, Inc. — a business strategy consulting practice working with large- and mid-sized, primarily Scandinavian, companies and educational institutions. Clients included Absolut Vodka, Ericsson, Skandia Insurance Group, Scandinavian Airline Systems, DHL and Volkswagen Sweden.
In 2003 I worked with Tattoo Brand Consulting — a boutique brand strategy firm that helps its clients define how they would like their brand and product propositions to be perceived in the marketplace, and helps them bridge the gap from how they are actually perceived. Accounts I worked on included Banana Republic, Condé Nast and Yahoo!
In 2004 I set out on my own, offering User Experience Research services to clients in internet and software.
In 2005 I moved to Los Angeles to head up Brand & User Experience Research for Snap.com, an Idealab company based in Pasadena, CA.
As of April 2008, I’m once again working freelance and while I’m open to exploring full-time opportunities, I’m quite happy working on a variety of projects and flexing my wide range of skills, from Creative Strategy to Interaction Design to User Research to Product Management.
