Sarah Phares: Interaction + Information Design

EDUCATION

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Master of Design, Interaction Design, May 2010
Completion of core coursework in IxD and CPID
Instructor, Communication Design Fundamentals, Fall 2009 and Spring 2010
Teaching Assistant, Graduate Design Seminar II: CPID, Spring 2010
Recipient of Kynamatrix Research Grant for graduate thesis work

Basel School of Design, Basel, Switzerland
The First Basel Summer Program 2005:
Basics in Design and Typography
3-week program with Wolfgang Weingart including workshops in Drawing, Space and Form, Color, and Typography.

Washington University, St. Louis, MO
BFA Visual Communications, BA Architecture,
Minor in Art History, May 2001
Paul Edward Birdsall Award in Graphic Design
Architecture Summer Abroad 1999: Helsinki, London, Barcelona, and Paris
Dean's List 1996-2000

EXPERIENCE

Design Intern, frog design
New York, NY, May-August 2009
Collaborated on out of box experience, website design, and blue sky exploration for global communications client. Refined writing and design of installation guide, developed wireframes for online address book, and generated concepts and scenarios exploring the future of personal and business contact networks.

Senior Research Associate & Designer,
Visual Communications Research Studio (VCRS)
St. Louis, MO, June 2005-June 2008
In fellowship funded by Kauffman Grant, worked as project manager, art director, and designer on projects for academic, non-profit, and commercial partners including educational heart exhibit and traveling elementary science classroom. Taught core and elective courses including Visual Communications I, Typography I and II, and Visual Communications & Business.

Designer, Jon Roll & Associates
Cambridge, MA, July 2003-June 2005
Designed and executed wayfinding systems and special installations for academic, government, and institutional clients at 10-person environmental graphic design firm, contributing in all phases from schematic design to implementation.

Graphic Designer, Goody Clancy
Boston, MA, June 2002-July 2003
Designed project proposals and presentation materials and collaborated with in-house marketing team to develop and implement graphic standards and maintain design archives at large architecture, planning, and preservation firm.

Freelance Designer
St. Louis, MO, Boston, MA, and Pittsburgh, PA, May 2001-August 2008
Designed communication pieces including identity systems, collateral, and publications for small businesses and clients in the arts and non-profit sectors.

DESIGN METHODS
Surveys and user interviews
Persona development
Scenario development
Concept evaluation
Visualization
Prototyping

BUSINESS SKILLS
Professional & technical writing
Project management
Presentation design & delivery

COMPUTER SKILLS
Adobe Creative Suite 4
XHTML and CSS
ActionScript 3.0
Microsoft Office

PRODUCTION SKILLS
Pre-press & print production
Bookbinding & letterpress
Architectural & freehand drawing
Construction document detailing

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
AIGA 2000-present
IxDA 2008-present
SIGCHI 2008–present
Center for Plain Language 2009
ACM 2009