Sarah Barkowski
Creative Designer
& Director

About Me.

I use my multi-disciplinary mindset to help others reconnect with themselves and the world around them through experiential design and education. I care deeply about nature, community, and self-actualization, and I believe play is an essential ingredient to good design and personal wellbeing.

Listen to the content.

In good design, form reinforces its content. The form — or design — should provide subliminal clues that reinforce the purpose and values of the content to its audience. Without that communicative relationship, what more is design than a pretty face? Content gives design its substance, and design gives content its intrigue: an interesting facade to reflect a sound building. Trends change — a unique, thoughtful, and relevant solution doesn't.

Find the right problem.

Before jumping to solutions, make sure you’re solving the right problem. What feels urgent is often a symptom — not the cause. Fixing these squeaky wheels without understanding their source guarantees more problems down the line. Look for the roots before you reach for the fix.

Empathize.

Everyone has a story, experience, and perspective worth understanding, and every project should have the user at the center of its considerations. Walk a mile in their shoes, and see things through their eyes: empathize with them deeply to understand their problem, their needs, and thus their unique solution.

Have fun.

If you are bored, so is everyone else. Dig deep and go on tangents. Allow yourself to be taken in new directions to new ideas, approaches, and executions. Don't be afraid to mess up: design is iterative, and innovation follows bravery.