Creating a digital experience that people actually remember? Yeah, that’s no cakewalk.
Customers today are spoiled for choice, and their expectations are through the roof. In fact, 80% of customers say a company's experience is as important as its products or services. Meanwhile, brands are left juggling a million channels, trying to get noticed without pulling their hair out.
So, how do you rise above the noise without losing your mind?
Michelle Berryman, Executive Creative Director at Hero Digital, says it’s all about finding the sweet spot between creativity, strategy, and stuff that gets results. Keep reading for her no-nonsense take on the challenges, tools, and trends shaping the digital game.
Hint: It’s way more than just slapping together some pretty pictures.
Who Is Michelle Berryman?
Michelle Berryman is the Executive Creative Director at Hero Digital, a powerhouse in user experience and digital strategy. She's a design world heavyweight with over two decades of shaping brands and simplifying complexity. Named one of the Top 50 Industrial Designers of the past 50 years (yes, you read that right), Michelle’s superpower is crafting user experiences that are as pleasurable as they are authentic. Whether revolutionizing healthcare CX or redefining how we interact with brands, Michelle’s vision is sharp, strategic, and unapologetically human.
Let’s start with the big headache for many brands — maintaining consistency across platforms.
“One of the biggest challenges for brands who are present on multiple digital platforms is making sure those experiences seamlessly convey a brand’s overall identity and messaging,” Michelle explains.
“It calls for intense attention to detail when designing these touchpoints to ensure that the branding remains clear and consistent, while minimizing friction for the user as much as possible.
Friction comes in many forms: slow loading times, clunky navigation, or disorganized interfaces. And it’s a big deal — a study by Google found that 53% of mobile users abandon a site that takes more than three seconds to load.
The solution? Prioritize simplicity. According to Forbes, the best UX designs emphasize clarity and accessibility, making interactions seamless and satisfying for users. This “frictionless” design isn’t just a UX buzzword; it’s a necessity.
The Role of Data and AI in Elevating User Experiences
Brands today collect mountains of data, but turning numbers into actionable insights? That’s a different story.
“Organizations may have the data to create personalized experiences or A/B test various features,” says Michelle, “but they may not know how to turn that data into actionable insights. That’s where AI can be a huge help.”
At Hero Digital, Michelle’s team uses AI to sift through large datasets, identifying roadblocks and opportunities in user journeys. And she’s not alone. According to McKinsey, 65% of companies now use AI in at least one business function, doubling adoption rates from previous years.
This isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about building exceptional user experiences.
Hyper-personalization is another win AI brings to the table. AI analyzes user behavior in real-time, enabling brands to create highly tailored content, offers, and experiences.
For example, HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing Report highlights that AI-driven personalization delivers a 20% lift in customer satisfaction rates.
Creative Strategy is the Compass for Brand Success
A strong creative strategy isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the North Star guiding all efforts.
“Creative strategy should help define the overall experience of any project, as well as determine the appropriate KPIs to measure and define success on an ongoing basis,” Michelle emphasizes.
She offers an example from her work with the LPGA. The goal was to grow the game and create a seamless fan experience. To do this, her team developed a multi-screen digital ecosystem that integrated social media, AI-edited highlights, and a user-friendly app for on-site attendees.
Michelle explains further:
“It was important for key stakeholders to grow the game and enable a fluid digital experience for the fandom to follow their favorite players — these experience pillars guided our creative strategy and execution.
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In practice, these pillars manifested through a multi-screen experience that integrates with social media, AI-edited video clips to show round or player highlights, and a bifurcated app experience for on-site tournament attendees.”
These seemingly simple AI-powered initiatives delivered significant results for the LPGA, as Hero Digital drove a 65% increase in website performance. This surge also led to a 75% increase in athlete visibility — an invaluable outcome for attracting new fans and expanding the reach of the sport.
These strategies worked because they aligned with business goals while keeping the end user in their sights.
So impactful were the results that the LPGA and Hero Digital partnered again to launch a fan-centric mobile app ahead of the 2025 LPGA Tour season.
Simplicity, Empathy, and Personalization — The Trifecta for 2025
What does the future hold for creative strategies and digital experiences? Michelle points to three trends: simplicity, empathy, and personalization.
“Simplicity in customer experience is a major theme moving into 2025,” she says. “Consumers are trying to simplify their lives, decision-making, and consumption habits. Brands should ensure they make the digital experience as simple as possible.”
Research backs this up. Forbes notes that adaptive UX features, such as light/dark modes and customizable interfaces, are gaining popularity because they make users feel in control.
On empathy, Michelle adds:
“Appealing to our humanity is a creative trend we will see shining through in 2025. The world feels chaotic, and we as consumers want to feel grounded — a brand strategy that focuses on empathy, humanity, and building a sense of belonging will win.”
One standout example? Volvo’s recent ad campaign weaponized empathy to create a powerful, emotional narrative. The campaign didn’t just promote a product — it made viewers feel understood.
Making It Actionable, Starting Today
How can you translate these insights into action if you’re a marketing or branding professional or even a C-suite executive? Here’s a quick roadmap:
- Audit Your Digital Touchpoints: Identify inconsistencies in branding and friction in user experiences. Fix slow loading times and refine navigation to make journeys effortless.
- Invest in AI: Use AI to analyze data, predict user behavior, and deliver hyper-personalized experiences. Gartner predicts that 80% of creative professionals will use generative AI daily by 2026 — get ahead of the curve!
- Focus on Simplicity: Streamline your user interfaces and eliminate unnecessary steps in the customer journey.
- Empathize and Personalize: Use data to understand your customer’s needs and create tailored and authentic experiences.
- Align Strategy with Goals: Ensure your creative strategy connects with broader business objectives and stays adaptable as conditions change.
The Bottom Line on Great Design
Michelle Berryman’s insights aren’t just industry talk; they’re a call to action. In a digital world brimming with options, brands that combine creativity, data, and empathy will meet customer expectations and exceed them.
Whether you’re rethinking your website design, launching a new campaign, or planning for the future, these principles offer a strong foundation.
Because at the end of the day, a great digital experience isn’t just about being noticed — it’s about being remembered.
