# Erick Garro

> UX Engineer | Bridging design, business, and engineering to build experiences that empower people

Location: Switzerland, Switzerland
Profile: https://flows.cv/erickgarro

As a hybrid with a background in Design, Informatics, Marketing Communication, and Advertising and experience building Startups, I've worked on every stage of the creative process, from ideation to release. When developing or enhancing a product, I embrace divergent thinking while balancing user needs with business goals.

## Work Experience
### Co-Founder @ Wohlen kocht
Jan 2025 – Present | Wohlen, Aargau, Switzerland
“Wohlen kocht” is a community initiative created to provide spaces where people from all walks of life can connect through the simple yet powerful acts of cooking, sharing meals, and being present with one another.

At its core, the project focuses on fostering belonging, building bridges, and encouraging mutual understanding across cultures, generations, and social backgrounds. What began as a small idea has grown into a platform for meaningful encounters, social inclusion, and shared humanity.

### UX/UI Designer & Frontend Engineer @ BLP Digital AG
Jan 2023 – Jan 2025 | Zurich, Switzerland
▪ Established and led the company's first UX / DesignOps practice—co-designing with the customer-facing Projects Team and validating via heuristics and behavioral principles amid restricted user access.
▪ Created the company's first Design System based on Atomic Design—modular components that brought standardization and accelerated the web app redesign.
▪ Developed a custom Figma plugin—converting Design System tokens into a consistent, scalable TypeScript theme, simplifying design-to-development handoff.
▪ Grew the UX practice from a solo role—mentoring and leading a second UX Developer, increasing design capacity and speeding up the web app redesign.
▪ Collaborated with developers during and after implementation to shorten the feedback loop, diagnose problems, propose workarounds, and occasionally contribute to the React UI component library.
▪ Collaborated with the Founders on a high-impact AI feature design—showcased at key client events, generating strategic interest and adoption opportunities.
▪ Redesigned the app's core workspace at leadership's request—enhancing clarity in task guidance and execution speed in complex workflows—validated through internal testing and stakeholder feedback.
▪ Redesigned an internal Machine Learning tool—repurposed for sales teams, enabling clearer pitches and reducing cognitive load for representatives and prospects.
▪ Produced technical documentation defining design requirements and provided detailed implementation guides afterward to ease and accelerate implementation with minimal support.
▪ Conducted training sessions with frontline non-technical stakeholders—Project Team—enhancing their ability to identify opportunities and contribute effectively to UX improvements.

### Automation Engineer @ progile GmbH
Jan 2022 – Jan 2022 | Dietlikon, Zurich, Switzerland
▪ Developed and tested computer vision-driven automation for medical devices in a small team of developers—gaining early exposure to AI-human interaction challenges.
▪ Simulated and validated user interactions for touch-based medical interfaces—enhancing test reliability and coverage in critical workflows.
▪ Developed an understanding of testing systems built for precision and safety—foundational to later work in UX for AI-driven tools.
▪ Improved cross-functional communication and collaboration, aligning quality assurance, development, and business goals in a highly regulated domain.

### Digital Marketing Specialist & Product Owner @ Universidad Cenfotec
Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | Costa Rica
▪ Improved the university website’s UX—doubling positive feedback and reducing negative input by 73%—via user-driven content enhancements, headless CMS (Keystone) management, and external developer collaboration.
▪ Led digital campaigns across multiple channels—partnering with creative and technical vendors to raise online visibility and drive enrollment through targeted, user-centered content.
▪ Created story-driven video content with students and staff—strengthening emotional connection with the brand and fostering a sense of belonging for prospective students

### Co-Founder @ Aditi Multimedia (now part of ADC Móvil)
Jan 2011 – Jan 2016 | San José, Costa Rica
▪ Progressed across multiple co-founder roles—Chief Commercial Officer → Chief Operations Officer → Chief Business Developer—proactively adapting my responsibilities to evolving business needs.
▪ Led the evolution of the kiosk from an MVP with significant usability and hardware challenges—transforming it into a reliable, scalable platform successfully deployed across major national retail chains.
▪ Created the Interactive Coupon Printing App, a user-friendly, self-service promotional app that evolved into a successful in-store trade marketing platform. This innovation secured a strategic early-stage investment from Grupo Nación—Costa Rica's largest media corporation—achieving a USD 3.6M valuation.
▪ Led the creation of the Kiboo brand—including naming, visual identity, positioning, and user persona—establishing a cohesive foundation for market entry.
▪ Took ownership of kiosk UX / UI design—introducing detailed implementation guides, establishing clearer handoffs, and improving collaboration with developers unused to this level of design support.
▪ Built Customer Service and Technical Support operations from scratch, first building internal teams for user needs and then transitioning to outsourced partners to enhance coverage, reduce costs, and improve support for kiosk users.
▪ Co-led the creative direction of gamified in-store kiosk campaigns, translating partner goals into engaging experiences through mockups and prototypes. This hands-on work supported customer satisfaction and boosted adoption within Kiboo's freemium model.
▪ Collaboratively evolved Kiboo's coupon app into an interactive retail media platform—co-designing gamified campaigns that boosted engagement, increased redemption rates, and strengthened market positioning.

### Freelance Photographer @ Unknown
Jan 2006 – Jan 2011 | Costa Rica

### Co-Founder @ In Motion 360
Jan 2007 – Jan 2009 | San José, Costa Rica
▪ Co-designed an online service that let home seekers virtually visit properties for rent or sale from anywhere.

### Marketing Coordinator @ Papaya Music
Jan 2005 – Jan 2007 | Sabanilla, San José, Costa Rica
▪ Brought music from all over Central America and Belize to Costa Rica by organizing the Central American Music Fair throughout partner stores as part of the successful Papaya Fest 2006.
▪ Managed the online and trade marketing efforts all over the company's retailer network.
▪ Managed the marketing relationship with the marketing counterpart at Putumayo music label, of which the company owned the exclusive distribution rights in Central America.
▪ Assisted in the production of several music albums, concerts, and audiovisuals.


## Education
### Bachelor of Science - BS in Informatics
USI Università della Svizzera italiana

### Diploma of Education in Computer Software Technology/Technician
Universidad Cenfotec

### Master in Marketing Communication
Universidad de Costa Rica UCR

### Diploma of Education in Audiovisual Production
Centro de Imagen (Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje - INA)

### Bachelor's degree in Advertising
Universidad Latina de Costa Rica


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/erickgarro
- Portfolio: https://www.erickgarro.com

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Source: https://flows.cv/erickgarro
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/erickgarro/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-03-31