A Conscious UX Conversation with Erico Fileno
Erico Fileno, digital experience executive at Service Design Network, on decolonial design, ethical responsibility, and why humans must remain at the center of everything.
I first met Erico Fileno through the International Association of Interaction Design (IxDA) leadership network. We'd been out of touch for years. When we reconnected for this interview, I realized his path from rural Brazil to becoming one of Latin America's most influential design leaders maps directly onto what I mean by conscious, heart-centered practice.
Erico grew up in the Brazilian countryside in a big family—three siblings, lots of relatives. "Having to live together, negotiate, and exchange all the time ended up helping to shape a lot of who I am today," he told me. That foundation, plus Brazilian culture's emphasis on "exchange, eye contact, handshakes, hugs, and especially conversation," gave him the instincts that drive his work now.
The Spark of Movement Building
What gets me about Erico is his reflex to build where nothing exists. "If there was nothing, I would go there and create it. And if there was nothing organized, I would go there and start organizing it." That spirit led him to jumpstart the UX and service design movements across Latin America in the early 2000s, riding the Design Thinking wave to establish communities that barely existed before.
His thinking about innovation has shifted over time. In the 1990s it meant "technology for technology's sake." Now he believes "humans should be the center of everything, because it is from them that the solutions to the problems that we ourselves create come." But he's gone further: "Humans are not alone; more living beings live on this planet called Earth."
Bringing Humanity to Digital Banking
At Itaú Chile, Erico works on humanizing AI-powered banking. He describes it as balancing "the human aspect of interactions" with "strong alignment with the business strategy," while keeping "the human being with their expectations, desires, and pains to be resolved" at the center. His approach uses AI for hyper-personalization that serves both customer needs and business efficiency without losing the human connection.
Ethics in Design for Millions
Erico deals with ethical tensions every day when he designs for millions of users. His principle is straightforward: "I always question what I am working on, whether it will improve or worsen the lives of the people impacted." He insists that "human values must prevail" over capital, backed by research, co-creation, and participatory design.
His take on inequality in Latin America's digital ecosystem cuts through. "Our society is very unequal in every sense," he says. UX teams can't just mirror those imbalances. "We must build a more balanced team and often force a pyramid in reverse, because the force of inertia is greatly enhanced by the power of the status quo."
The Practice of Conscious Design
What keeps Erico grounded in fast-moving corporate environments is the design critique session. "It is when we stop to understand, discuss, and improve what is being developed. It is the moment to review the question that is guiding the team in the construction of the product or service."
His riskiest move was launching Visa's Innovation Studio in Brazil in 2016, which later expanded across Latin America. Over six years, they built more than fifteen projects used by millions globally, generating billions in payment volume "at a ratio of more than 50x on every dollar invested in Design."
Decolonizing Design
Erico's thoughts on decolonial design reveal both opportunity and challenge. The conversations are still "restricted to small groups in some universities," but he sees real value in centering Brazilian and Latin American authors, local knowledge, and centuries-old crafts. He champions the Brazilian concept of "Gambiarra": improvising with imagination and minimal resources to achieve functional ends. "Creativity has no limits," he says. "It must be taken very seriously."
The Future of AI and Latin American Design
Erico thinks AI can reduce linguistic and cultural barriers while making designers more productive. More important, he sees Latin American designers bringing "a discussion from the global south to enrich AI models," since current models were built mostly in the United States and Europe. "The AI of the future needs to have many tones and different perspectives in order to have a relevant global performance."
Legacy of Heart
When I asked about legacy, Erico's answer captured what conscious design leadership means: "I would like you to remember me as a friendly and kind person who helped others grow and helped build a relevant and impactful area within the region." His vision extends beyond individual success to collective elevation, helping "take the design banner further" while positively impacting millions of people.
His story is a reminder that conscious design isn't just methods or frameworks. It's bringing your full humanity to the work, centering community and care in digital transformation, and understanding that our job as designers is fundamentally about human flourishing.
People can learn more about these approaches and others in my book Conscious UX.