Experience

Freelance
2025 - Present

Creative Lead

Independent Practice. Same Standard.

  • Independent creative practice spanning brand strategy, identity systems, web design, and experiential design for clients across tech, real estate, and the nonprofit sector. Each engagement is built around the same principle as my in-house work; brand as a business tool, not just an aesthetic one.

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

  • Developed a comprehensive brand system and event package for a major national real estate brokerage, delivering a cohesive visual identity across digital, print, and experiential touchpoints.

  • Also partnered with nonprofits and agencies on web design, brand systems, and campaign creative.

“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

  • Led design for QuickBooks Demand Generation, partnering across Product, Engineering, and Marketing to build experiences that connected brand strategy to measurable acquisition outcomes.

  • Design lead for award winning “Money your way” campaign; receiving Gold at the Global Influencer Marketing Awards 2025.

  • Drove a 16% increase in gross new subscribers through AI-personalized product surfaces, a 15% lift in ecosystem revenue through a motion design system, and the first 100 NPS score in product usability testing.

  • Built a scaled visual design system in collaboration with Data Science and Engineering to power end-to-end personalization.

  • Led conversion-focused design across high-value acquisition surfaces, grounding strategy in weekly customer research and performance data.

  • Served as Campus Innovation Catalyst, leading design thinking workshops that trained more employees than any other Intuit site.

  • 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

  • Led a full-site redesign and brand transformation that became the core growth engine for Tray's go-to-market motion.

  • Built and managed an internal and external design team, established a scalable design system, and partnered with Demand Gen and Product Marketing to develop a conversion-focused creative strategy from the ground up.

  • Designed and launched a new web platform unifying marketing, product, and documentation, achieving a 3.6x increase in conversion rates.

  • Developed a conversion-focused design program for Acquisition and Demand Gen teams that delivered a 2x lift in engagement at launch.

  • Led creative vision across web, digital, video, social, and events, ensuring a consistent visual narrative aligned with brand standards across all channels.

“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

  • Embedded with Facebook's creative team supporting Watch, Gaming, and Consumer Integrity, delivering cross-functional creative across digital, product, event, and print.

  • Led global localization of brand assets across all regions, ensuring visual consistency at scale.

  • Developed and delivered training programs for EMEA offices and partners, equipping local marketers with the tools and guidelines to execute independently and on-brand.

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.

  • Oversaw art direction across 12 digital properties, including e-commerce, learning platforms, event sites, and publishing, for the global media brand behind Make: Magazine and Maker Faire.

  • Clients included GE, Netflix, Google Science, Intel, and AT&T.

  • Launched a proof-of-concept e-learning platform with Intel in under two months, driving a 1.8x lift in CTR and a 12% e-commerce conversion rate, generating immediate partnership interest.

  • Led iterative design improvements that improved subscription rates by 1.8x, outperforming A/B testing benchmarks by 2.8x.

  • Managed product roadmaps, production calendars, and an agency partnerships network across all properties.

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.

  • Led UI design and sprint-based development of the Drupal community platform, meeting an accelerated delivery schedule.

  • Created and presented new product concepts to partners, securing multi-million dollar content deals through design-led storytelling.

  • Served as design lead across brand, presentation, and client projects throughout the company's early-stage growth.

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 initiative that increased residency to 97% and established a 2–3 year waitlist, earning the 2013 Gold Rebranding Aging Award from the International Council on Active Aging.

  • Redesigned the website UX/UI, driving a 68% increase in traffic and 25% increase in inquiries.

  • Art directed multimedia campaigns and collateral that brought the new brand to life across all channels.

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 firm's initial product launch, securing $350M in investments.

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

2000 -2011

Early Career

Marketing Manager, Village Properties — led 12-person marketing team; Project Manager, Morrelli Inc.; Creative Associate, Creative Space.

SKILLS

Visual Design
UX Expertise

UX/UI Design, Visual Design, Web & Print Design, Prototyping, Wire-framing, User Research, Design Thinking, Expert in Adobe, Figma and PowerPoint

Creative Leadership
Strategy

Creative Direction, Art Direction, Brand Strategy, Team Leadership, Marketing Campaigns

Analytical
Technical Skills

Data Analysis, Accessibility Standards (WCAG), E2E Collaboration, Project Management, Communication

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.