Hiya, I’m Eric — a designer, strategist, and voracious music lover currently living and working in the Chicago metropolitan area. I help teams build (and break) digital products and experiences with a focus on quietly improving people’s lives, one thoughtful interaction at a time.
Trust me, I’m no expert.
The world doesn’t need any more thought leaders, gurus, or theoretical purists. We need more amateurs — those eager to playfully explore both new and well-worn paths with curiosity, kindness, and a willingness to be the carefree fool. For “nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” 2
I’ve spent over 20 years as a professional amateur. That’s a long time experimenting and appreciating the beauty, connection, and unpredictability that makes us human — beyond algorithms, analytics, and the latest trends. I believe in people before profit, and our shared need to learn, teach … and just tell good stories.
These are the things currently occupying my attention.
A blog? Kinda … maybe, not really. Either way, please enjoy some intermittent musings on design, music (a lot of music), tech, and other tangentially related things. Some of it might even make you laugh.
As of late, I’m listening to some recent favorites from Belgium’s De:tuned records (Morphology, Nuron, Robert Leiner, and Terrace), reading Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem, and watching season three of Foundation on Apple TV+.
Album of the Week: The Turning by Bask
Be sure to check out this week’s enjoyable releases from the uncompromising Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, as well as the pedal steel ambient-country of Luke Schneider on the ever-reliable Leaving Records.
As good as the aforementioned albums are, most of my late-week listening has been dominated by the latest from one of my favorite bands, Asheville, North Carolina’s own Bask. Welcoming pedal steel guitar player Jed Willis as a permanent member, The Turning takes the dusty Americana explorations of their previous record and sharpens it to absolute heavy psych perfection. While other amazing bands like Elder, Ancestors, and even Date Palms come to mind, Bask chart their own unique course across vast cosmic deserts and will most certainly earn a top spot on my year-end list.
If you only listen to one song, try “Unwound.”
Bask
Be strange, but don’t be a stranger.
I’m not on social media much. It wasn’t always this way, but nowadays I mostly rely on good ol’ RSS and a few exceptional newsletters to keep me informed and entertained. Quality over quantity, always.
Reach out anytime if you’d like to ask a question, share a recommendation, or hear about my latest Bandcamp Friday spending spree. 3