ART DIRECTOR
SARAH MORAN DESIGN
BROOKLYN NY
Sarah Moran is a painter who also happens to be a designer. She has an MFA in painting and an active art studio practice in Brooklyn. Sarah has also spent over a decade in the beauty and luxury industries working with clients like Stila Cosmetics, Beautyblender, Buxom and Ippolita, among others. She does it all; from concepting and executing best in class marketing campaigns, to delivering authentic branding.
One of her favorite achievements was seeing her hand painted designs featured on seasonal beauty packaging for Stila Cosmetics all over the globe. This marked a memorable milestone in her career seeing her different skill sets work together in producing a noteworthy experience for the customer. When it comes to the world of digital — there isn’t a platform or medium she hasn’t touched. She has the unique ability to continuously feed the beast of social media with engaging fresh content ideas for the brands she supports.
Sarah states: “My strength is that I’m not a designer, I’m an artist and I happen to be very strategic. That way when I work with a client, I bring a different perspective than a traditional designer and I’m able to tap into the look and feel of their brand or project from a more holistic perspective pulling from influences like art history, social trends, music, as well as design.”
Looking forward, are you optimistic about the role of graphic design in business and society?
Design is and will always be an important tool for social impact. I know this firsthand as many of my personal projects over the last few years have been tied to social events and fundraising efforts. In fact, last fall, I collaborated with Meena Harris and her company, Phenomenal, to create a custom sweatshirt design that raised funds for the Biden/Harris campaign. This initiative originated on my personal Instagram, @city_sarah, where I gave out my design on t-shirts in exchange for a proof of campaign donation. While it was exciting to manage my own fundraising effort, the partnership with Phenomenal came at the perfect time. I had quickly sold out of my t-shirts and with the help of another female owned and powered business, I was able to scale the productivity of my efforts and make a greater impact.
Have the challenges of the past two years changed the way you approach your work?
I think it’s fair to say there have been countless lessons to come out of the last two years. One lesson that I think about often is the preciousness of time. This awareness has changed my perspective in how I approach and take on projects. I prioritize what excites me and surround myself with people I enjoy working with. Through my positive working relationships, I’ve learned that good people attract good people, and by maintaining the right relationships, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with so many incredible humans.
