In a homecoming for the experience design veteran, Inah Mercedes has rejoined digital experience agency Green Stone as its Chief Experience Officer. Originally one of Green Stone’s first employees, Mercedes will now work alongside recently added Design Director Lauren Winslow, redefining the creative vision for the future of the company.
Based in Miami, Mercedes’s passion for UX was sparked at Crispin Porter Bogusky (CP+B), where as a Senior Experience Designer, she helped to craft digital experiences for clients like Arby’s, Underarmour, MetLife and others. It was also there that she first met Green Stone CEO Matt Walsh, who at the time was CP+B’s Executive Experience Director. When he later left to found Green Stone, known for its distributed talent model, Mercedes followed and aided in its evolution over the next six years. Now, in a climate where remote work is not just the norm but a business advantage, she returns to Green Stone to help guide the company towards a new vision for UX, delivering against a varied set of problems that companies now face.
“I am kind of a chameleon in that I can adapt my skills to many different needs, from big complicated systems and software design to sites, platforms and digital tools that bring product and brand stories to life in a really magical way,” explains Mercedes. “Core to building a team that is similarly adaptable will be shaping the anatomy of that team to have skills as varied as the moment requires. I don't want us to be known for one thing. I want us to be known for solving problems with a process that works across whatever needs a business might have.“
This adaptive approach extends to the evolving talent paradigm that has emerged since the pandemic. “The time is right for design thinkers that not only understand and can execute the craft, but can act as guides who help clear the way to design and deliver the experiences that change behaviors and lead to business growth and transformation,” Mercedes continues. “These will be the next generation of experience designers, and at Green Stone we’ll be looking for them — highly curious designers with diverse interests that are excited to create something new.”
Key to this will be working with Design Director Lauren Winslow on a variety of initiatives, rethinking how the agency approaches design. “When I first got to talk to Inah, it was really exciting to find someone who shared my enthusiasm and an understanding of what Green Stone is all about,” says Winslow “She's been a part of the Green Stone family for a long time, so being able to collaborate with her on what is next is really exciting. All of her ideas are grounded in such deep knowledge of not only how we work, but how we could work better.”
CEO Matt Walsh agrees, saying, “This is a team that I think will come to define our future approach to building digital experiences. Inah, in particular, has been such an important part of the history and growth of Green Stone, welcoming her back is like adding back a crucial missing piece. As we continue to grow, I look forward to Inah helping us chart a new path toward building even better, more effective digital experiences.“
