Hello! I’m Sara, a designer & creative currently living between Portland and Palm Springs.
I strive to create work that blends commercial broad appeal with innovative thoughtful design, drawing on my love of craft and my experiences across various creative fields. My goal is to create work that is beautiful and inspirational enough to last the test of time. And, in my capacity in leadership positions, I lead with empathy, collaboration and joy.
I'm humbled and grateful to work in a field I love and have been fortunate to work on some incredible projects thus far. I’m currently working on a variety of projects including PDX Airport, product print, fixing up a house in the desert, and making art for fun.
I’m always up for chatting about possible projects or collaborations. Please contact me via email with any requests. Thanks for visiting!
COLOR CONCEPT & COLOR & MATERIAL DESIGN
Adidas Ivy Park Apparel & Footwear
During my time at adidas on the Top Creators Team, I contributed to both footwear and apparel categories, conceptualizing and executing color schemes for the adidas IVY PARK collaboration (as well as to Pharrell’s collaboration). In addition to my design responsibilities, I was entrusted with creating client-facing presentations to effectively communicate and sell through our concepts. Collaborating closely with the design team, I conducted design research, created color concepts and provided color & material design to ensure our aesthetic choices aligned seamlessly with the brand's vision, resulting in impactful and cohesive color stories for the collection.
Humanrace Apparel Color Concept
COLOR CONCEPT & COLOR DESIGN
I had the opportunity to design a year-long apparel color concept and strategy for Pharrell's Humanrace line at adidas. In this project, I created a comprehensive color and concept presentation that outlined color stories and concepts for an entire year-long collection. This project was a collaborative effort with the creative director, product marketing director, and apparel designers, which made it a rewarding and inspiring experience. This work happened just prior to Pharrell’s announcement around becoming the creative director for Louis Vuitton. The image below is just a placeholder showing some of my inspiration for the work.
LEADERSHIP, COLOR CONCEPT & DESIGN DIRECTION
Nike Color Design Lead for Accessories
During my time as the Color Design Lead and Team Manager for Nike’s Accessories Center of Excellence (C.O.E), I oversaw the color direction for 13 accessory categories, including global bags and socks, etimated at a $1 billion business at the time. Managing a talented team of color designers, I played a pivotal role in defining the brand's color strategy and executing concepts that balanced fashion-forward design with commercial viability. My work involved extensive cross-functional collaboration and leadership in developing products that resonated with Nike’s global consumer base.
Nike Womens Apparel Color Design
PILOT ROLE / COLOR DESIGN
As the inaugural apparel color designer for Nike Women’s Training, I pioneered color palette development and strategies for the brand, as it related to apparel design. Collaborating closely with design leadership, marketing, merchandising, apparel and footwear, I led the color-up process for women’s training, ensuring alignment with cross-category partners in design and the business. This role laid the foundation for future apparel color designers at Nike, shaping an entirely new role within the brand and driving innovation in women's sportswear.
EXPERIENTIAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
Portland International Airport | TCORE Expansion
As the Environmental Graphic Design Consultant for the Portland International Airport (PDX), I have the privilege of collaborating with ZGF Architects on an a transformative expansion project with Phase 1, which opened in August of 2024. Spanning nearly 1 million square feet, with an estimated cost of $2 billion, this endeavor is part of PDX's ambitious plan to accommodate 35 million passengers annually. The main terminal expansion aims to double the footprint while celebrating the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, inviting both passengers and employees to experience its charm. Through strategic environmental graphic design, we're crafting an immersive journey that seamlessly integrates natural elements and captivating visuals, enhancing both functionality and aesthetics throughout the terminal. My scope includes strategic planning, creative concepts for a variety of storytelling experiences - 2D, analog and digital. It’s been a joy working on this marathon of a project, and seeing how the public has fallen in love with our new airport.
Renderings courtesy ZGF and The Port of Portland
Print & Pattern
PRINT & PATTERN DESIGN
Early on in my career, I ventured into print design as a joyful hobby, assisting in launching the design studio, Pattern People, with friends. Subsequently, I embarked on my independent journey, operating under my former name, Salvage. Despite lacking formal knowledge of print techniques, I immersed myself in experimentation, often utilizing vacation days to showcase my designs at trade shows in New York City. This period of exploration allowed me to refine my craft and discover my artistic voice. Notably, my prints during this time were purchased by brands such as Steven Alan, Anthropologie, Vans, Estee Lauder, Godiva, among others.
BRAND EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Nike Global Retail Stores
As the Experience Design Lead for flagship locations such as Nike Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and stores in Asia, I played a pivotal role in shaping the overarching store experience. My responsibilities included art direction and design of 2D, 3D, and digital experiences, visual display design celebrating heritage, innovation, local and sustainability stories. It was a humbling experience to contribute to such exciting projects that celebrate this iconic brand at the intersection of sport, culture, and design.
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
North Woven Wood Wall | Portland International Airport, Concourse B
As the Environmental Graphic Design Consultant for Concourse B at PDX Airport housing the 6,900 square foot Alaska Airlines concourse, I worked closely with ZGF Architects to infuse the space with meaningful storytelling through art and design. This encompassed strategically planning artwork placement, collaborating on the design concepts and contributing to the design of permanent architectural art. Notably, our collaboration resulted in the creation of the iconic North Woven Wood Wall, a homage to Oregon's craftsmanship and natural beauty, created with beautiful Oregon White Oak, and incorporating the work of local artist Ryan Fedderson.
photography by Mario Gallucci
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
Mosaic Murals |
Portland International Airport
As the Environmental Graphic Design Consultant for Concourse B at PDX Airport housing the 6,900 square foot Alaska Airlines concourse, I worked closely with ZGF Architects to infuse the space with meaningful storytelling through art and design. This encompassed strategically planning artwork placement, collaborating on the design concepts and contributing to the design of permanent architectural art. Notably, our collaboration resulted in the creation of the North Woven Wood Wall, a homage to Oregon's craftsmanship and natural beauty and artwork for two 650 square foot Mosaic Murals in the washrooms, enhancing both the aesthetic and passenger way-finding experience. Stay tuned for more mosaic murals coming soon to PDX — all with an emphasis on Oregon’s beautiful natural landscapes and plants.
read more about the mosaic projects here: https://prattandlarson.com/inspiration/pdx-airport/
12W | Indigo Building
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
During my time working with ZGF, I collaborated with the team on shaping the vision for our new building. Our work started with organizing company-wide design charrettes, workshops, and video interviews to capture feedback and hopes from the larger ZGF team. We consolidated our findings into a custom book and website. Once the interior planning began, I led the environmental graphics, including the Slide Wall in our lobby, crafted from 7,500 repurposed project slides - I found the slides so beautiful and wanted to create an installation that spoke to ZGF’s past, while embracing it’s future in our new building. I also collaborated with the interior design team to develop a a colorful and intuitive wayfinding system for the parking garage as well as custom tile pattern artwork for the 17 residential floors above ZGF’s office.
ENVRIONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGN
Randall Children’s Hospital
As the Art Director and Designer for the SEGD award-winning Randall Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon, I partnered with the interior design team to create a healing environment aimed at providing positive distraction and hope for patients, families, and staff alike. Working with ZGF Architects, our team’s goal was to consolidate pediatric care into one larger new building, while infusing the space with inspiration and unexpected discoveries. Through strategic environmental graphic design, we utilized art and graphics to craft destinations and enliven spaces, ensuring a sense of thoughtful distraction. Drawing from research on children's affinity for imagery from the natural world, we implemented regionally inspired color palettes and animal imagery throughout the hospital. This included creating art glass, the lobby frieze, way-finding and surface designs across all nine stories, fostering an environment conducive to healing and well-being.
photography by Nick Merrick / Pete Eckhert
