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About
I'm Sarah Gleason! I graduated with a degree in Product Design and User Experience Design from the University of Minnesota. At the beginning of my educational journey I started as a mechanical engineer, but quickly realized I wanted to pursue a career where I could be the creative lead. Product Design is the perfect outlet for me, combining my creative and technical skills to solve complex problems.
I believe all great design begins with thorough research.
My design formula integrates finding the 'why' that defines user behavior with my diverse skillset to solve unforeseen issues in current digital and physical products. Service design is a key area of interest, as it broadens the scope, allowing me to view the full ecosystem from a fresh perspective.
My passions also extend to entrepreneurship and management. I started two small business' and ran them in the chaos of my college apartments. From this experience I learned a great deal about design in action, leading a team of people from diverse educational backgrounds, creating grounded & pleasant customer interactions, and marketing up and coming products. -
Education
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BS in Product Design Product DesignUniversity of Minnesota2019 - 2023- Minor in User Experience Design
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Experience
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Product Designer INew Brighton, MNSep 2024 - Present (1 year 9 months)• Create detailed technical drawings for manufacturing, ensuring documentation meets rigorous engineering specifications and quality standards for industrial and water-well screening solutions
• Sketched and modeled bench concepts for an architectural conference, verified DFM, and collaborated with production team to ensure a high quality final product
• Lead UX and UI designer for internal project management platform rolling out to multiple international branches
• Conducted user research and usability testing on platform and implemented design changes that improved navigation efficiency -
Freelance DesignerMinneapolis, MNMay 2023 - Present (3 years 1 month)• Design full kit of brand assets and create compelling visual identity that reflects the brand personality and strategy
• Develop new printing plate designs for beverage packaging
• Create and run website and social media accounts to attract business from local microbreweries
• Research emerging trends in the sustainable packaging industry -
Assistant DesignerMinneapolis, MNJun 2023 - Sep 2024 (1 year 3 months)• Researched and presented concepts for themed dinners to business owner
• Organize file structure and physical materials for easier access
• Created sketches and renderings for a product line concept
• Sourced materials, planned project timeline, executed, and built finalized installations to bring idea from concept to final design
• Critiqued ideas, website, and social media and offered original ideas based on in depth research -
Computer Lab ManagerMinneapolis, MNAug 2019 - May 2023 (3 years 9 months)• Interviewed, hired, on-boarded, and trained 15 employees in providing IT support for design software and aided in growing their customer experience skill set
• Facilitated meetings with design faculty to create new systems that increased lab efficiency
• Received and implemented student feedback by redesigning lab layout and signage -
User Experience InternEagan, MNMay 2022 - Dec 2022 (7 months)• Interviewed 24 internal stakeholders to identify customer pain points and created flow charts, user personas, journey maps, and storyboards to analyze insights
• Ideated on digital solutions and created user experience wireframes, mock-ups, and interactive prototypes
• Coordinated and conducted usability testing on prototype with 15 users and implemented feedback
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Awards
2023 College of Design Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award - University of Minnesota
- Recognizes exceptional leadership and academic accomplishments, awarded for making
a positive difference in the lives of individuals and the College of Design community
2nd Place Team in Andersen Design Blitz (24 hour Design Challenge) - Andersen Corporation
- Competed on team of 4 against 11 teams, was awarded 2nd place for best original
industrial design concept
2022 Student Academic Excellence Award - University of Minnesota
- Awarded for creating positive and impactful contributions to the Product Design
Program at the University of minnesota through the Product Design Minnesota Club
(My Role: President) -
Affiliations
WiM - Women in Manufacturing Member
College of Design Program at the University of Minnesota - Professional Mentor for Design Students -
Industries
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Skills
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Elsewhere on the Web
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On Coroflot@SarahGleason, member since 2026