Hi!
I’m Sarah - an Austin-based graphic designer and freelancer.
You can view my professional summary on my LinkedIn, but I’d like to use my website to communicate who I am as a designer.
I have a lifelong background in traditional art and knew I was going to work in something visual and artistic since I was young. I began freelancing for non-profits in 2013 to get my start building my skills. A lot of my work during this time was volunteer work in addition to my digital painting commissions, and once I felt confident enough to start charging, the non-profits I had built a long-term relationship with started referring me to potential clients.
I continued to freelance both for graphic design and social media consulting. I would have went to university for either graphic design or computer animation, but my mentors at the time told me that I might get more value out of getting a business degree and continuing to build my skills in a freelance capacity. So I pursued Business Management while continuing my design studies in my free time. This time in my life is valuable to me because it taught me to be responsible for my own growth and to take initiative. My business knowledge has also really helped me in seeing the use of design through the eyes of my clients.
To get the experience of agency settings, I started taking internships and learned to balance stricter deadlines and a faster pace. Currently, I am working full-time as a Graphic Designer and Marketing Associate for a clothing brand, as well as continuing to freelance.
When I’m not working (rare) you can find me playing D&D or video games, practicing my singing hobby, or studying languages.
My Design Philosophy
While I believe passion for your work is one of the most important qualities of a designer, I also believe that when you are designing in service to another person or organization, you have to change your priorities to creating the best product possible, rather than feeding your ego.
By this, I mean a designer has to learn to establish the goal and purpose of a design before they even start, and maintain focus on that goal even if that means making changes that may not fit your aesthetic or taste. Balancing beauty and functionality is what a designer needs to strive for.
Because of this, I have made it a point to learn to collaborate closely with others on my projects and to take feedback with active listening. Discussions need to be made around important design and the best designs are usually made by a team.
Client List:
Appen Speech & Search Technology
Brendan Burns
Chris Verna Training
Citadel Foundation
Data for Democracy
Dropkick Ads
Flipside Canvas
HackWesTX
Inertiart Studios
New Knowledge
Own The Dash
Perfektion Gaming
Sign Design Graphics
Stratfor
The Love Story Organization
Texas Tech UMI
YEDEA Telemedicine
& More