Experience

Freelance
2025 - Present

Creative Lead

Independent Practice. Same Standard.

  • Led end-to-end brand strategy and visual identity for a YouTube TV show rebrand for a leading digital infrastructure company, from research and positioning through full creative execution.

  • Built the AI workflows behind that engagement: markdown skill files, brand reference frameworks, and structured prompt systems that kept output consistent, on-brand, and fast to produce.

  • Partner with non-profits and agencies on comprehensive brand systems, delivering cohesive visual identity across digital, print, and experiential touch-points.

“Sarah initiated for Heal the Ocean the whole concept of communicating to our membership digitally, as a faster, more environmentally-friendly way of getting important news or bulletins out. She set us up on a distribution system, created the design and we were ready to roll! Our subscriptions have tripled, even quadrupled since Sarah started helping us…she is wonderful to work with!”

Intuit
2021-2025
Mountain View, California

Senior Visual Design & Innovation Lead

Driving Growth Through Data-Informed Design & Cross-Functional Strategy

  • Conceived, designed, and built a scaled, AI-personalized visual design system in partnership with Data Science and Engineering, driving end-to-end personalization across the customer lifecycle.

  • Design Lead for Demand Generation, focusing on high-value, high-conversion surfaces to unify global campaign concepts with in-product execution and ensure measurable growth across the customer lifecycle.

  • Led qualitative customer research initiatives, conducting 2–3 user interviews weekly to ground strategic decisions in direct feedback and embed customer-first methodologies across cross-functional teams.

  • Developed in-depth user flows and performance dashboards integrated with success metrics, translating complex UX research into actionable optimizations for end-to-end experiences.

  • Championed the implementation of design thinking and customer-first methodologies across cross-functional teams, acting as the operational lead for embedding efficiency into the creative process.

  • Also: Tech Women of Intuit Mentor · Accessibility Champion

“Sarah brings so much to the table. She finds a balance between business goals and customer centricity and I love how excited and dedicated she is to solving problems. She helped me figure out what to focus on and why it mattered so much.”

Tray.io
2019-2021
San Francisco, California

Art Director

Building a Conversion-Optimized Brand Ecosystem at Scale

  • Established and managed strategic design objectives in collaboration with Marketing, Product, and Customer Success, ensuring high-quality execution and alignment with brand standards.

  • Led and managed the creative vision for all brand initiatives, including web, digital, video, social, events, and more.

  • Spearheaded the design, build, and launch of a new web marketing platform achieving a 3.6x increase in conversion rates.

  • Created a conversion-focused design system, ensuring brand consistency across all surfaces, for Acquisition and Demand Gen teams, resulting in a 2x lift in engagement at launch.

“A rare talent who combines boundless artistic creatively with strategic thinking, sharp brand sensibility, and a relentless advocacy for her team.”

Brainrider @ Facebook
2018-2019
Menlo Park, California

Senior Art Director

Scaling Creative Across Verticals & Geographies

  • Supported business partners' marketing needs across multiple verticals, including digital, product, event, and print materials.

  • Led the design for a global localization project, ensuring consistent brand standards and assets across all regions.

  • Developed comprehensive training packages for EMEA offices and partners to facilitate effective implementation of brand guidelines.

  • Collaborated with Product Marketing to design and execute new initiatives and campaigns.

Maker Media & Make: Magazine
2016-2018
San Francisco, California

Digital Art Director

Integrating UX Strategy with Platform Innovation

Maker Media, a media company producing hands-on learning content for Make: Magazine, a global network of Maker Faires, and learning platforms.

  • Played a key leadership role across departments, ensuring consistent UX, design, and brand standards across all digital properties.

  • Managed creative direction for 12 digital properties, including e-commerce, learning platforms, event websites, and publishing sites.

  • Developed and managed product roadmaps, production calendars, and the design team, including agency partnerships.

  • Launched a proof-of-concept learning platform for an Intel partnership within two months, resulting in immediate partnership interest, a 1.8x increase in click-through rate, and a 12% e-commerce conversion rate.

Lexicon of Sustainability
2014 - 2015
Petaluma, California

Art Director

Accelerating Product Innovation Through Purpose-Driven Design

Lexicon of Sustainability was an award-winning media company telling stories at the intersection of food systems and environmental awareness, producers of the PBS series Know Your Food, the USDA-sponsored Project Localize, and The Lexicon of Food, a community-driven digital platform.

  • Clients included Levi's, Whole Foods, and Zynga.

  • Created and presented new product concepts to partners, securing early partnerships in content deals.

  • Led design sprints for the Drupal community platform, delivering the project on time and within budget.

Casa Dorinda
2012 - 2014
Santa Barbara, California

Communications Director

Casa Dorinda is a premier senior living community offering independent living through full end-of-life care in Santa Barbara, California.

  • Led a comprehensive rebranding effort that elevated the organization's public image, increased residency to 97%, and established a multi-year waitlist.

  • Produced award-winning multimedia campaigns and redesigned the digital experience, driving a 68% traffic lift and 25% more inquiries.

  • Honored with the ICAA Gold Rebranding Aging Award.

Center for the Greater Good
2011-2012
Boise, Idaho

Marketing Director

Center for the Greater Good was an impact investing firm packaging private investment funds for large institutional investors and foundations.

  • Clients included Bishop Museum, The Michaels Organization, Boston Financial, and Success Measures.

  • Led the marketing and communications campaign for the launch of the initial product offering, securing $350M in investments.

  • Managed in-depth user research to develop human-centered indicator and outcome tools, facilitating partnerships with Boston Financial and Success Measures.

2000 -2011

Early Career

Marketing Manager, Village Properties — led 12-person marketing team; Project Manager, Morrelli Inc. — Coordinated global team of 12 people; Creative Associate, Creative Space — Co-creator of education-based toys for children.

SKILLS

AI Systems
& Tooling

AI-powered design workflows; lightweight generators, and custom tools (Claude, Lovable, FLORA, Python).

Design Systems
& Tools

Expert in Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud, component libraries, responsive web design, prototyping, and UX/UI design.

Data
& Engineering

Operations
& Strategy

Research
& Analytics

Python, data analysis, machine learning integration, end-to-end technical collaboration, and HTML/CSS.

Creative operations, project management, brand strategy, design thinking, and production logistics.

UX research, user journey mapping, performance dashboards, and A/B testing optimization.

EDUCATION

General Assembly, 2023 — Data Science, 1

YALE - School of Management and AIGA, 2013 — Business for Creative Leaders


Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 2003 — Design Internship


University of California at Santa Cruz, 2000 — BA in Fine Art

“Her energy, innovation and delightful good nature became an essential part of my company and her imprint still remains to this day.”

— Founder, Morrelli Inc.