Erik van Bergen

Designer, Strategist, Creative Thinker

RéSUMé

Work

Wells Fargo | Charlotte, NC – www.wellsfargo.com

One of the world’s largest financial services companies, Wells Fargo serves 70 million customers in 36 countries and territories.

Lead Customer Experience Journey Designer | Virtual Channels, Experience Design Research and Strategy (June 2019 - present)

  • Advocate for the customer, supporting strategic initiatives by helping development teams understand the current state and articulate future visions

  • Journey mapping process used to guide development decisions and ensure prioritization of customer experience impacts

  • Leading the development of best practices and a library of actionable experience outputs for use across the organization


CompuCom Systems | Greater Charlotte, NC – www.compucom.com

Provider of end-to-end managed services, technology and consulting to Enterprise clients 

 Innovation Consultant | Digital Innovation (June 2018 - June 2019) 

  • Helped shape new team’s capabilities, approach and deliverables in response to corporate strategy shift where innovation services became integrated into all client proposals with a significant increase to team revenue targets

  • Project lead / support for innovation sprints – Design Thinking to solve wicked problems and Innovation Roadmapping to define plans for technology goals 

  • Sprints engagements included account discovery, workshop facilitation, deliverable production and presentations to C-level / senior management


Wells Fargo | Charlotte, NC – www.wellsfargo.com

Service Design Consultant | Virtual Channels, Customer Experience Strategy  (September 2016 - June 2018).

  • Led research into experiences with a new biometric authentication service – identified success barriers including context and messaging strategy, and proposed value propositions for customer adoption and team engagement

  • Investigated omni-channel capture, maintenance and sharing of customer contact data – findings and recommendations socialized with leadership and SMEs via presentations, workshops and gameplay

  • Efforts included defining work effort, conducting stakeholder and SME interviews, observational research, consumer and team member surveys, analyzing verbatims and identifying trends from quantitative data. Deliverables included system maps, customer journeys and blueprints


InVue Security Products | Charlotte, NC – www.invue.com

Operating in over 70 countries, InVue designs, manufactures and markets solutions that help retailers secure and display high-theft merchandise. Innovations balance premium experience, loss prevention and store aesthetics.

Senior Industrial Designer | Product Innovation Team (May 2014 - August 2016) 

  • Design and project lead during definition phase, working with marketing to define solution based on market needs and internal capabilities

  • Ensured design intent maintained through collaboration with engineering

  • Primary designer of products for new commercial security division, enabling tablets for use in commercial enterprise – SolidWorks used to develop aesthetics, layouts and mechanical concepts

  • High-profile OEM/brand retail environments like Apple, Samsung, Best Buy

  • Regularly presented to Executive Leadership Team


Oto Beverages | Greater Philadelphia, PA

Oto was a healthy lifestyle startup focused on bringing disruptive innovation and healthy, sustainable alternatives to the enhanced water beverage category. Oto was awarded residency at prestigious MassChallenge accelerator.  

Co-Founder (January 2012 - December 2014)

  • Assessed risk and opportunity through industry research, competitive analysis and retailer feedback

  • Identified consumer needs via interviews, focus groups and experts – created target personas to inform strategy

  • Designed beverage concept and delivery system using SolidWorks

  • Developed business plan and cultivated business partnerships

  • Created brand strategy for guiding operations, communication and community engagement to help build brand equity


Zilver Innovation | Rotterdam, NL - www.liveworkstudio.com

Service design consultancy, now part of  Livework Studio

“Design the New Business” Filmmaking Team Member (April 2011 - July 2012)  | www.designthenewbusiness.com

Documentary about the evolving use of design thinking in business strategy

  • Forbes “Must-See Design Documentaries You Don’t Want To Miss” (2016) 

  • Successful worldwide engagement with over 600k viewings

  • Research, storyboards, interviews and film production

  • Website and social media promotion, presentations and workshops 


Delft University of Technology | Delft, NL – www.tudelft.nl/en/

Research and strategy for new products, services and business models for industry clients like Philips, BMW and Unilever. Member of interdisciplinary project teams contracted by corporations to uncover insights and propose concept solutions.

Sample research and strategy projects:  

BMWi Mobility Services (Aug 2011 - Feb 2012)  

Service design for DriveNow car sharing. Solutions for entering a new market through innovation and market-specific offerings.

  • Investigated competitive landscape, mobility trends and technology, operating context and stakeholders

  • Identified user motivations through observation, interviews, group sessions, questionnaires and social media profiles

  • Developed customer journey maps, service blueprints, experiential video and reports to communicate offering to client

  • Integrated consistent brand experience through multiple touchpoints 

  • IP for check-in solution that enables cost sharing between passengers

 

Philips Consumer Lifestyle (Aug 2011 - Jan 2012)  

Customer insights for high-end skin care product. Identified user skin care motivations and information needs.

  • Designed cultural probe for sensitizing participants – daily diary and activities

  • Collage-building tasks and discussion outline for generative group session

  • Built theories by coding transcript using ATLAS.ti and clustering

  • Created personas based on skin care motivation insights 

  • Identified user motivations and information needs – communicated findings through presentation, infographics and report


Pulse Anatomy | Greater Philadelphia, PA – www.remedysim.com

Manager of Product Development (July 2009 - July 2010) 

  • Industrial design and CAD support for medical device and anatomical training model startup – using SolidWorks, Rhino and Maya

  • UX and UI design for C.R. Bard patient monitoring device

  • Vendor management of urethane casting and SLA/SLS prototype partners


Definitive Design | Greater Philadelphia, PA - www.definitive-design.com

Principal Industrial Designer (November 2007 - April 2009) 

  • Designed commercial electronics, consumer goods and medical devices

  • Production geometry and drawings for injection molding of FMCG products and electronics assemblies using SolidWorks

  • Supported sales and developed design and engineering proposals

  • Expanded service offerings by leading definition and launch of new design research capabilities


Helix Design | Greater Boston, MA - www.helixdesign.com

Design Project Coordinator (September 2005 - October 2007)  

  • Relationship management and proposal development for key consumer, industrial, and military clients 

  • Supervised teams of up to 5 designers, engineers and prototypers

  • Winner of Good Design Award for home automation universal remote

  • Recognized with Excellence in Design Awards for biometric gun safe and gas leak detector for utilities

Senior Designer (September 2002 - August 2005) 

  • Project management and proposal generation for key accounts like Staples, Bosch and iRobot

  • Industrial design, mechanical solutions and production documentation

  • Managed domestic and Asian manufacturing vendors

Staff Designer (September 1996 - August 2002) 

  • Aesthetic and mechanical design concepts for core customers Kodak, Safety 1st and Lockheed Martin using Rhino and Pro/E

  • Appearance and mechanical prototype creation for design evaluation

  • Honored with IDEA Award for rapid-entry snowshoe binding featuring one-time adjustment


Bleck Design Group | Greater Boston, MA - www.bleckdesigngroup.com

Junior Designer (Sept 1995 - May 1996) 

  • Concepts, renderings and prototypes for commercial electronics – Polycom, APC, Sequoia Voting Systems


Awards

2014 Finalist MassChallenge Startup Accelerator

4-month residency awarded to Oto Beverages

2011 YES!Delft Technology Incubator Sustainable Business Game Winner

Winning Business Proposal - Oto Beverages business model

2008 Good Design Award

Russound RFR-ES Remote Control - A/V and home automation controller

2007 Excellence in Design Gold Award - Appliance Design

Sequiam Biovault 2.0 - biometric quick-open gun safe

2006 Excellence in Design Gold Award - Appliance Design

Heath RMLD - gas utility crew laser-based leak detector

2006 TPE Product Design and Development Innovation Award

Heath RMLD

2002 IDEA Bronze Award

Tubbs Snowshoes BearHug Binding - quick snap-in/out snowshoe binding

2002 IDSA/Plastics News Award

Tubbs Snowshoes BearHug Binding


PATENTS

USD605634S1 – Wireless remote control unit

USD604271S1 – Cradle for wireless remote control unit

USD390561S – Interactive telecommunication station unit

USD771056S1 – Tablet stand

US20170238724A1 – Merchandise display hook including anti-sweep mechanism

WO2017142902A1 – Kiosk for portable electronic devices

WO2017059052A1 – Gang charger, shroud, and dock for portable electronic devices

 


Education

Delft University of Technology (NL)

MSc in Strategic Product Design, Annotation in entrepreneurship - 2012

Dnamo Sustainable Business Incubator (NL) 

Certificate in Business Startup & Administration - 2011

Management Training

Techniques for preventing organizational dysfunctions and improving client communication - 2006, 2015

Carnegie Mellon University (USA)

BFA in Industrial Design, Graduated with honors - 1995 

Studio Arts Center International (IT)

Courses in Italian design, photography and art history for university credit - 1994