Hello, I'm Erik Zaikowski, art director, visual and product designer based in Manchester, NH. I help companies shape how their ideas are seen, understood, and experienced. Have a look at some of my work below.

About me

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From AI and machine learning to healthcare technology and enterprise software, much of my work focuses on intangible technologies where established visual standards might not yet exist. I help companies communicate complex ideas through art direction and visual systems that create clarity around products, brands, and technologies that are still taking shape.

Inspired by patterns found in nature, human behavior, networks, technology, and everyday life, I draw connections between ideas, systems, and trends to create visual strategies that are fresh, engaging, and easy to understand. Much like technology evolves by building upon existing patterns and relationships, my design process combines familiar visual cues with new perspectives to help organizations communicate emerging ideas in ways that feel approachable, intuitive, and memorable.

Experience

SafeRide Health | Visual Design Lead | 2023-Current*

Technology-driven medical transportation software company. Joined SafeRide during a company rebrand and helped evolve a new brand identity into a design system spanning product, web, and marketing. Worked closely with product teams to design high-fidelity prototypes defining the product UI look and feel. Alongside product design, I developed inbound campaigns, sales enablement materials, executive presentations, and technical communications for marketing, HR, and leadership teams.

Orbita.ai | Marketing & Product Designer | 2015-2023

AI-powered virtual assistant healthcare company. Hired at inception to establish a visual identity and collaborate with leadership on brand strategy as the company evolved from an early-stage startup into a large healthcare technology platform. Led three rebrands across multiple stages of growth, helping unify product, marketing, and digital experiences across the organization. Designed conversational experiences across web, voice, and chat applications while building scalable design systems and branded white-label solutions for customer applications.

Ektron | Senior Creative Designer | 2010-2015

Enterprise web content management and digital experience platform. Led creative and art direction across marketing, product, web, sales, and events, helping maintain a cohesive visual presence across the organization. Operated as the primary in-house creative resource, collaborating closely with writers, developers, marketers, and product teams while presenting concepts directly to C-level leadership. Designed brand identities for three Ektron Synergy conferences, directing vendor relationships, sponsorship materials, social campaigns, and environmental graphics for event spaces.

Visual Republique | Graphic Designer | 2007-2010

Boutique creative agency serving finance, hospitality, real estate, manufacturing, and nonprofit clients. Worked closely with the agency’s principals in a small, hands-on creative team, contributing to campaigns, brand positioning, and visual direction across print and digital experiences. The role provided early experience across design execution, client collaboration, and the day-to-day realities of creative business operations.

Select Engagements | 2015–2026*

Alongside full-time roles, long standing relationships with founders and former colleagues have continued to lead to creative collaborations as they move into new companies and leadership positions. Working across healthcare, AI, SaaS, cybersecurity, and enterprise technology, helping organizations communicate complex ideas through visual systems, product design, marketing, and art direction.
Entrio* | 2024 - Current
AI Tech Stack Taxonomies

Generative Labs* | 2024 - Current
Human + Agentic Product Dev

ai12z* | 2024 - Current
AI Search & Chatbot Platform
Aqfer* | 2022 - 2025
AI Marketing & Advertising Tech
Vision 33 | 2021 - 2024
SAP Cloud ERP Business Software
RapidMiner | 2018 - 2022
Data Analytics & AI Platform
Empirix | 2018 - 2021
Network Monitoring
Aquia, Inc | 2015 - 2017
Digital Experience Platform
Attivio | 2015 - 2017
AI Cognitive Search Solutions
BlackDuck | 2015 - 2017
Application Security Platform

Other Collaborations

Woodpellets.com | Boston Beer Works | Washington Mills Lofts | Enterprise Bank | CVS | Define Ventures | Health X* | Custom GPT* | Entrio* | Beverly Bank | Scribe Software | FastPath | Everteam | Skillsoft | Empirix | Mitiga | North of Boston Media
Skills
Brand & Visual Identity
Art Direction
Creative Direction
Design Systems
User Interface Design
Prototyping
Human-Centered Design
Product Design
Interactive Prototypes
Design Thinking
Illustration
Motion Graphics
Presentation Design
Print/Package Design
Tools
Illustrator
Photoshop
InDesign
After Effects
WordPress
Figma
Framer
Vercel
Claude
ChatGPT
Print/Package Design
Education
UMASS Dartmouth
BFA Graphic Design/Letterform
University of New Hampshire
UI/UX Design

Contact

Additional work, samples, and project details available upon request/interview. erik@erikzdesign.com

* Some work covered under NDA; samples available upon request