hey there!

it’s nice to

meet you!

I’m Sarah, a designer, educator, and cheerful collaborator based in tiny, coastal Rhode Island. For over a decade, I worked in branding, packaging, and franchise development for some of the world’s best-known toy brands.

Now, you can find me teaching in the Arts & Creative Industries program at Bryant University and occasionally working with aspiring art students in RISD’s summer Pre-College program.

a little bit of this, a little bit of that.

selected work

As an in-house designer, much of this work concentrated on shaping brand direction and translating strategy into cohesive visual experiences. It meant working across every part of each property, from its history and purpose to future direction, informing decisions across branding, marketing, product, and franchise.

Projects ranged from big-picture direction to the details that bring each brand to life. There were the expected (packaging, presentation and pitch design, logo ideation) alongside the unexpected, like doll clothing design, ride-on scooter decals, and styling “food” for a Play-Doh shoot!

Below is a sampling of this work. More context available upon request due to IP sensitivity.

Playful, non-corporate work and personal projects sprinkled in, too ☺︎

  • Play-Doh Brand Website

    Strategic redesign of the Play-Doh website to strengthen product storytelling, spark creative exploration, and modernize the brand experience.

    Live website can be viewed here.

  • Play-Doh x Marvel

    Branding and packaging system for a Play-Doh × Marvel collaboration, unifying two iconic brands through a cohesive visual architecture.

  • 2025 New York Toy Fair

    Designed Play-Doh’s 2025 New York Toy Fair exhibit, creating large-scale graphics, signage, and product displays to tell the story of upcoming products, including a Barbie collaboration.

    (Updated photography coming soon.)

  • Baby Alive Brand Website

    Website design for Baby Alive, a doll brand focused on authentic, real-life nurturing play experiences.

  • Social Media Styling

    Social media styling and graphics concept for Baby Alive, designed to amplify emotional connection and celebrate the joy of nurturing play.

  • Photo Direction + Creative Design

    Photo art direction and creative design for a new Baby Alive brand expression, guiding casting, wardrobe, and set styling to create a bright, fresh visual language.

  • Photo Direction

    Directed lifestyle photography for various brands and products, overseeing talent, wardrobe, and set design; crafting shot lists and objectives; and guiding talent and photographers on set.

  • Art Direction

    Directed visual brand development for a STEM-forward brand, leading freelance designers and defining the brand’s visual styling, photography, and illustration style.

  • App Art Direction

    App art direction, collaborating with a developer to ensure the app aligned with the overall brand identity and inspired kids interested in light coding.

  • Event Design

    Designed the event experience for Makers, a STEM-forward toy brand, at the 2017 World Maker Faire, including large-scale graphics, bespoke swag, and gamified activities.

  • Brand Design + Art Direction

    Led the branding refresh and art direction for FurReal, designing a gender-neutral visual identity and logo to reflect that all kids enjoy interacting with and caring for animals.

  • Brand Concept Design

    Branding concept for Marvel Rising, an animated series and toy line, defining the visual identity that guided final artwork.

  • Album Art

    Art for Providence-based doom metal band.

  • Engineered Letterforms

    Custom typeface designed so each letter folds into a functional paper container.

  • Paper Weavings

    Weavings created from strips of photography prints.

  • Publication Design

Teaching & Student Work

Sometimes, you can find me teaching graphic design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where I love bringing a relatable and authentic approach to teaching young designers.

Examples of student work can be viewed here.

Let’s chat!

Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Sarah made her way up to Rhode Island after a handful of years in Georgia and beautiful Baltimore, Maryland (MICA GD/MFA 2013.)

She’s also a mom (one human, two dogs), wife to a specialty coffee roaster (very convenient!), and a friend.

Thanks for stopping by!