When we first started dreaming up the idea for a podcast, we knew one thing for certain: it had to be about community.
While SiteCrafting’s day-to-day is rooted in the world of UX, design and development, so much of our identity as a company exists outside our office walls. We believe that great work doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens when people come together to solve problems and support one another.
And if you live or work in the South Puget Sound, there is no doubt that when you think of “community,” you think of Erika Tucci.
A Powerhouse in Human Connection
Erika is a force of nature. As a key leader at the Ben B. Cheney Foundation, she is a powerhouse in human connection. For our very first podcast interview, we sat down with her to talk about how she keeps her finger on the pulse of the region and how the Foundation serves its diverse footprint across Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
What makes Erika so impactful isn’t just her title; it’s her philosophy. She places humans at the center of everything she does.
UX Principles in the Real World
What’s truly fascinating is how Erika’s approach to philanthropy is deeply rooted in user experience. We first saw this in action when she worked alongside our team during the massive Tacoma Public Utilities website redesign (a 450-page feat that required a relentless focus on the end-user).
The same principles that guide a complex digital build—empathy, accessibility and intuitive navigation—are the ones Erika applies to community work. It’s about:
- Deep Listening: Understanding that you can’t solve a problem until you truly hear the people living through it.
- Meeting Needs In-Situ: It’s not about asking people to come to you; it’s about meeting them exactly where they are.
- The Power of Impact: Shifting the focus from “what we do” to “how it actually changes lives.”
Connecting Over Perfection
This podcast is a new type of content for us, and honestly, we’re okay with it being a little raw. We’ve realized that what matters far more than the perfection of the production is the fact that we are connecting with people and creating something meaningful.
Erika reminded us that whether you’re architecting a massive website or supporting local non-profits, the goal is the same: understand the human experience.
“This is where community conversations are important. That’s something we take really seriously here at the Cheney Foundation…making sure that we’re out in community, having conversations, listening to the people that we’re serving.”
