Sarah Krzyzek

As a Creative Lead & Principal Designer with over 15 years of experience, I manage the full creative lifecycle across digital and physical touchpoints. I specialize in building scalable identities, balancing high-level strategy and storytelling with clear, consistent, and impactful technical execution from concept to rollout.

FREELANCE PRINCIPAL DESIGNER at THE ARTIST BY NIGHT (2009 – Present)

Strategic design lead for the publishing, education, nonprofit, tourism, and real estate sectors. I manage the full lifecycle of brand identity and integrated campaigns, converting strategic goals into scalable visual systems that push creative boundaries.

• Brand Asset Architecture: Develop custom illustration and iconography systems as the foundational visual language for branding initiatives, major events, and national campaigns.
• Cross-Platform Rollout: Direct the translation of cohesive design systems across digital platforms, print media, and the built environment, executing everything from user touchpoints to large-scale environmental graphics and wayfinding.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Collaborate with marketing leadership to shape campaigns and presentations, ensuring design strategy directly supports organizational objectives.
• Technical Oversight: Facilitate seamless production hand-offs by providing technical guidance and design oversight for internal teams and vendors.

CREATIVE LEAD at MASSIF CREATIVE (2023 – 2026)

Directed the full project lifecycle within a multidisciplinary design studio serving nonprofit, hospitality, and cultural sectors. I balanced high-level creative strategy and client direction with hands-on visual execution from concept to final delivery.

• Multi-Channel Leadership: Led high-profile event marketing campaigns and regional visual rollouts, ensuring seamless visual continuity across print, digital, and physical touchpoints.
• Visual Identity Systems: Designed and developed custom illustration systems and core visual assets, elevating the visual narrative while maintaining structural alignment with brand guidelines.
• Campaign Strategy: Collaborated with key stakeholders and leadership to shape brand positioning, translating high-level goals into actionable creative directions.
• Studio Collaboration: Partnered within a close-knit team to uphold rigorous design integrity and execution standards; mentored junior design staff and coordinated external partners to ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Project Scoping: Contributed to proposals and client presentations, ensuring creative vision was balanced with project scope, budget, and timeline constraints.

SENIOR DESIGNER at THE IDEA PARTNER (2016 – 2023)

Delivered brand identities and spatial systems within a boutique studio serving commercial, institutional, real estate, and small business clients.

• Project Lifecycle: Led projects from strategic scoping through the delivery of sales materials and paid campaigns tailored for both B2B corporate clients and consumer markets.
• Technical Coordination: Partnered with fabricators, printers, and copywriters to guarantee flawless technical execution and brand integrity across physical and digital touchpoints.
• Client Engagement: Presented creative strategy, articulating design rationale and translating high-level goals into tangible project outcomes.
• Design Integrity: Managed high-volume production schedules and guided junior design staff, reinforcing design standards across all studio deliverables.

IN-HOUSE GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGNER at ILSC EDUCATION GROUP (2012 – 2016)

Managed the global visual identity and multi-language communications across Canada, USA, Australia, and India, ensuring brand alignment across all international markets.

• Cross-Channel Marketing: Conceptualized and executed comprehensive marketing initiatives for international student recruitment markets.
• Print & Digital Collateral: Designed multilingual brochures, marketing materials, and advertising while capturing on-site photography to build an authentic visual library across diverse regions.
• UX/UI Development: Led the website redesign and ongoing digital asset management, improving usability and visual cohesion for a worldwide audience.
• Visual Content Strategy: Managed the company's global Instagram account, shaping content strategy and engagement initiatives to maintain a unified brand voice.

EARLY CAREER EXPERIENCE at THE DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION

Built foundational expertise in typographic systems, structured layouts, and mission-driven communications through roles in book publishing and the nonprofit sector.

• Public Engagement: Developed large-scale communications initiatives supporting national environmental awareness and sustainability campaigns.
• Editorial Systems: Designed comprehensive book templates, establishing the visual logic for text, photography, and graphics while accurately accounting for production constraints.
• Technical Discipline: Refined a disciplined approach to pre-press formatting, color accuracy, and typographic execution across diverse print and digital platforms.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Graphic Design & Communications – Illinois State University

Professional Certification in Web Development – BrainStation Vancouver