erich manser
ux researcher
'eric' with an 'h', manser rhymes with "dancer"
I believe my personal loss of sight provides a clear design vision.
Drawing upon a background in accessibility, my view of user research is that it's our opportunity to uncover hidden user needs, interactions and experiences that are truly authentic & innovative. When we trust in the data, and allow ourselves time to conduct purposeful research, our products, designs and customers benefit.
My Work
Designed an engaging, inclusive public-awareness campaign to eliminate confusion about local vs. federal census types and boost response rates in Boston's lowest counted neighborhoods. Campaign had 3 parts: Educational Flyers, Posters & Social Media. Per the client, "I've never been so excited about the census!".
Conceived an all-new resource at IBM for systematically including people with disabilities in product design and development, then worked with IBM design teams to package as a solution. Showcased how lived experiences can be valuable expertise that leads to powerful design insights.
IBM and Local Motors teamed up in 2017 to design the “world’s most accessible self-driving vehicle”. That year, at CES in Las Vegas, a partnership was announced, promising 'demonstrable innovation' in accessible transportation by the following year. Through a series of Design Studios and Workshops, we learned the power of personalization for delivering accessible rider experiences.
Proposed a new feature and enhanced experience for users of the popular Venmo mobile payment app. Research showed Venmo users to be socially conscious and philanthropic, so the proposal was to add the option of making charitable contributions a seamless part of Venmo's natural user experience.
Get in touch!
I'd love to hear from you. Reach out with any questions, comments or ideas on ways we might collaborate.