2020 Mentor


Sarah Doan

Interaction Designer at HCSC / Blue Cross Blue Shield

Kickstarting Your Career:

Design Your Career Path

The job market is tough – whether it’s your first job or a new career direction, setting yourself up to land a new role isn’t easy. Navigating the industry can be challenging, but it should be approached with a sense of adventure and confidence! Building a portfolio and resume is the first step, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

With Sarah, you’ll come together to learn helpful tips and tricks to bridge the gap to your successful career. She wants to share the experience beyond just finding that ideal role. You’ll work together to find a place where everyone can continue to learn and grow as holistic talent as well as designers.

All Levels:
  • Should have a basic understanding of at least one design tool (Sketch, Figma, Photoshop, etc)
Session Topics:
  • Research yourself to develop impactful storytelling techniques
  • Learn how anyone can define a uniform and polished style
  • Improve on the process of job searching and applying online
  • Discover what it takes to be successful in a new role
  • Understand how to be a strong contributor and collaborate across disciplines
Takeaways:
  • Design career confidence
  • Refined professional materials/skills

Sarah is an Interaction Designer at HCSC / Blue Cross Blue Shield. She is a self-proclaimed human-centered design and creative strategy expert. Her curiosity of people and environments drives her to create insightful, practical, and user-friendly design solutions. She takes budding ideas and cultivates meaningful and creative experiences to support impactful business strategies. She does all of this because she loves to build things – there’s nothing more rewarding as a designer than taking a concept and bringing it to life.

An introverted explorer at heart, Sarah likes to quietly find inspiration everywhere: watching our interactions with Chicago’s urban architecture and streetscapes, or the natural influences found hiking through a secluded National Park. She also spends too much time drinking coffee, cooking Italian food, watching basketball, and shopping for sneakers. She has a never-ending desire to dig in, learn, and create new things.

Sarah is always looking for opportunities to continue her growth in the design industry and tries to stay current on new digital trends and concepts, while leveraging my leadership experience to mentor and help others develop. An imaginative and thoughtful leader with a laser-sharp eye for details, Sarah thrives when she can balance time between hands on design and meaningful interactions with clients, stakeholders, and cross functional teams.

Talk to Sarah about:

Kanye West, NBA Branding, and/or National Parks