Sarah Sampson

Why do you enjoy working with clients in education? I love that it allows me to be a lifelong learner. I love learning new things outside of design, and I love that I get to read and design content that not only further educates me but will drive learning and conversation in the larger world.

What is a memory from your school experience? During a lecture, Lucy Bowditch, my art history professor, made a passing comment: “you thought you knew what was there so you stopped looking.” I think about this quote often—it keeps me curious. I never want to stop exploring based on the assumption that I already know what I’m going to find. I aim to be an active explorer in all aspects of my life.

Where do you find inspiration? Nouns! People, places, and things, always.

What’s an example of a time when you took a risk and it paid off?  For my senior thesis project I wanted to create something experimental — less tangible and straightforward than things I had seen in the past. I deep dived in my research on asemic writing, developed a process for collecting data, and pitched the idea to my professor, who, while interested, remained skeptical and unsure of my purpose (to be fair, I was also skeptical and unsure of my purpose). But it was something I was curious about, and for this piece it felt like following passion and process would lead me to far more interesting places than following something more certain. The final product was okay, definitely not my best work—but it was by far my favorite project of the semester. The process gave me the skills to stick with my vision, and showed me that just because you’re unsure of where something will lead doesn’t mean there isn’t value in exploring it.

Favorite word? Jambalaya (also happens to be my favorite food)

Favorite song?
Recently: Aselestine by Yo La Tengo
When I’m in my feels: Mary by Big Thief
When it's time to party: Anthony Kiedis by Remi Wolf
When I’m feeling nostalgic: King For A Day by Pierce the Veil