Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah-Anne Wildgoose.
Hi Sarah-Anne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey started in high school, searching for the answer to what I would be when I grew up. At the time, my sister was in college studying Industrial Design (product design) and invited me to visit. She shared her cool, bright green handmade model of a travel iron design. I was blown away that she had taken a hand-drawn sketch and brought it to life with power tools. Time passed, and I found myself holding a wooden model of a kid’s toy car that I designed and built. I discovered my passion for designing and making all the pieces fit and work together.
As a 21-year-old college student, I found myself working for the major brand Tonka Toys, with two designs in their line for decades. It was amazing to see kids playing with my Bell Telephone Truck and Car Carrier Truck. Upon graduation, I realized I had blended my parents’ expertise in engineering and fine arts. I started professionally designing surgical instrumentation for Johnson and Johnson, where sketches became digital 3-D models, then 3-D printed pieces for testing. Ensuring that all the pieces fit and worked together resulted in two patents. At Tupperware, my designs for sugar, creamer, salt, and pepper shakers locked in freshness and were demonstrated at Home Parties.
I left corporate life to run my own company, designing for Schick Razor and Georgia Pacific. A client triggered a pivotal moment that transitioned the business to Graphic Design. While working with small businesses, projects varied from full campaigns to logos, brand identities, brochures, and vehicle graphics. NP Medical was a client for over 5 years, collaborating on tradeshow assets, slide decks, and brochures. Packaging projects blended my Industrial and Graphic Design skills. After working with Kochek for three years, I accepted their offer to take on a full-time Marketing and Design role, developing strategy and designing catalogs, brochures, logos, sell sheets, packaging, and more for their five divisions, while teaching for 23 years at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Five years ago, I moved to Atlanta and started SAW Design Studio, a visual storytelling business creating graphic images that attract, engage, and connect. They are memorable, just like our childhood picture books, to share clients’ brand stories with their target audience. I am very passionate about accelerating business visibility with custom-designed print and digital marketing tools to establish brand recognition. The key is that all the media fit and work together consistently.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My career has been full of twists and turns, but I would not have it any other way. Working for corporations, small companies, and myself has taught me different parts of the business world.
Figuring out who you are and what you want can be a struggle, but once you figure that out and stay true to yourself, it makes things much easier.
There are always struggles; however, I prefer to call them challenges because, with the right mindset, they can be turned into opportunities.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
SAW Design Studio accelerates business visibility, which drives sales. As a full-service graphic design group, we take pride in prioritizing client needs and build relationships. What distinguishes us is our ability to blend graphic design, branding, and marketing strategy to effectively reach the target audience.
Our design solutions leverage the fact that 80% of us are visual learners. The right digital and print media position clients in front of their customers to attract, engage, and connect. This visibility drives sales.
Implementing the mindset of Industrial Design (product design), the focus is on connecting with the target audience. Emotional triggers start the connection. Visuals tell how the brand solves problems. Trust is achieved through continual, consistent marketing. It’s not just design — visuals bridge the communication gap between the user and our client. Designs are intentional, not accidental.
We work with large, medium-sized businesses, and startups. As the brand curator, we ensure all marketing pieces fit and work together because brand unity across all media builds the know, like, and trust.
Over the years, we’ve established new brands and existing brand identities. To help companies stay relevant, we recommend a brand evaluation to review messaging, market position, and proper tactics.
BRAND IDENTITY:
-Logo Designs -Social Media Banners -Business Cards -Letterhead -Style Guides
MARKETING:
-Collateral -Brochures -Infographics -Postcards
DIGITAL MEDIA:
-PDFs / eBooks / Decks -Newsletters -Advertising
SALES:
-Product Documents -Folders -Pitch Decks
TRADESHOW:
-Exhibit Graphics -Banners -Signage -Presentations/Slide Decks
PACKAGING:
-Graphics -Structure
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Reputation. It walks through the door before you do. Being authentic and transparent is crucial. They are at the core of building long-term relationships.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sawdesignstudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawdesign_studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SawDesignStudio/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-anne-wildgoose/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saw-design-studio/
