Moving teams from blurry problems to clear paths through UX research, strategy, and vision

I’m Sara Wells — a user experience designer with over 11 years of experience shaping complex, high-traffic enterprise systems and consumer workflows. I bring blurry problem spaces into focus, then lead the strategy and vision that guide teams in building the right things, in the right ways, to achieve the desired outcomes. Whether it's big-picture direction or detailed designs and processes, my work is fueled by curiosity, empathy, commitment, and a natural inclination to find a better way.

 
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Capabilities

Discovery & User Research

Understanding the problem, testing hypotheses, and validating potential solutions

Methods include: User Interviews, Contextual Inquiry, Stakeholder & SME Research, AI-assisted Research & Synthesis, System Audits, Surveys, User Testing

Strategy & Definition

Defining a vision to achieve the desired outcomes

Methods include: Strategy & Experience Pillars, Vision Designs, Roadmaps, Feature Definition & Requirements

System Design

Defining a system's topology, information architecture, flows, states, and ecosystem relationships

Methods include: Object-Oriented UX, Content Modeling, Journey Maps, Workflow Diagrams, Site Maps

UI/UX Design

Designing interfaces that align with the vision and design system, and ensuring implementation quality

Methods include: Wireframes, Prototypes, Detailed Designs, Spec-Driven Development, UX-Engineer partnerships

UX Measurement

Developing and implementing a strategy for measuring impact, gathering user feedback, and determining next steps

Methods include: AI-assisted Survey Synthesis, Usage Data Analysis, A/B testing

UX Leadership

Influencing quality and how work gets done through mentorship, process improvements, and guiding work toward our vision

Examples include: Helping to shape new ways of working in the AI era

 

Testimonials

“You’ve led one of the most successful cross-subdivision partnerships in the company, onboarded new hire, and see things through to ensure the intended outcomes are achieved. You are truly an essential part of this company.”
— Kenny, UX Director & Manager
 
 
“She uses insights thoughtfully to challenge assumptions, identify opportunities, and make better design decisions. Her work consistently strikes the right balance between evidence, empathy, and creativity.”
— Dan, Product Owner
“I could not have asked for a better mentor, coach, leader, and teammate. You bring out the best in people by asking the right questions without being over prescriptive. You are supportive but also challenge me and others do their best work. You are a strategic thinker and planner, you see and account for things others don’t always see.”
— Mittra, UX Mentee
 
 
“She’s the best kind of collaborator, one who welcomes brainstorming, invites feedback, and isn’t afraid to pivot when new insights emerge.”
— Sam, Content Partner
“She is deeply intentional about her design decisions. Ask her why something is the way it is and you get a real answer, usually one that accounts for several constraints you hadn’t considered.”
— Eric, UX Teammate
 
 
See the work
More about me