it me
I'm a design and product leader based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
I love systems, not only design systems—but systems of people, ecosystems, all the pulleys and levers that make great design and a design team a great place to be. I love complexity, tangled problems to solve, and the cumulative effect of many tiny beautiful details.
I believe ethics, empathy, diversity, and that making room for people to be their whole selves is not just the right thing to do, it's good design and good business.
Where I've been
Talks and Interviews
Consensus 2024 | Designing for Novelty at the Intersection of Web3 and AI
NearCon 2023 | Let's Talk About Our Feelings: A Non-Therapeutic Talk on How to Win with NEAR UX
Blocked by Design
Branded Podcast
Refresh the Triangle, Durham, NC
Moinworld, Hamburg
Raw Haus, NYC [podcast]
MCE 2018 Conference, Warsaw
Polidea [interview]
BuildETH, San Francisco [video]
DevCon4 Prague Edition: Designing with Blockchain
DevCon4 Track intro [video]
Facilitator's Q&A [podcast]
Awards
2015 OMMA Awards
Web Site Excellence for CCT.org
The American Business Awards (The Stevies)
Bronze for BRINK
2014 WÂł Awards
Silver for ASPPH.org
The Communicator Awards
The National Electrical Contractors Association: Award of Distinction in the “Websites-Associations” category
The American Counseling Association’s website redesign, Gold Award in the “Association” category
Marcom Awards
The Food Allergy Research & Education, Inc. website, Gold Award in the “Nonprofit” category
The 2013 Davey Awards
Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI) “Let’s Put Our Plates Together” Launch Video
Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Website Redesign
Interactive Media Awards
FoodAllergy.org, “Best in Class” Award
AVA Digital Awards
The Food Allergy Research & Education, Inc. (FARE), Gold Award in the “Nonprofit” category
2013 APEX Awards for Publication Excellence
The Award of Excellence for the American Counseling Association in website category
The Award of Excellence for the Food Marketing Institute’s “Let’s Put Our Plates Together” video in the YouTube Publications category
Hermes Creative Awards
Platinum Award for the FMI2014 Show Microsite in the “Microsite” category
Platinum Award for the American Counseling Association’s Website Launch Video in the video category
Gold Award for the American Counseling Association’s Website Redesign in the Website Overall/ Association category
Gold Award for the FARE Website Redesign in the “Website/Overall Nonprofit” category
© 2025 Sarah Baker Mills