who is the visionary behind Catalyst?
It’s me. Sarah Carson.
Why should we work together?
While the best kept secrets are worth the wait, I can see you are someone who needs a little more convincing. For one, I have a secret super power. I believe any and every project can be made unique, interesting, and innovative. There is no mundane task that I can’t see potential in. If we work together, expect something no one else has done, something so completely out of the box it has never existed, something so upside down it may just be right side up. My work doesn’t just create a new visual form, it creates new voices, languages, and ideas.
When I am creating, it is important for me to take into account all the ways a work can speak. A work can speak through its design choices, its tactile properties, the way it folds and unfolds, the imagery, the sound, the smells, and the feeling imbued within it. Much of my work merges media and mediums, creating complex layers, each of which enhance the voice of projects forming new, unique identities that set brands apart.
I am motivated by creative challenges and seek out problem solving opportunities. I am constantly seeking new skills and exploring different ways design, photo, and film (and any other media a project may call for) can be formed and reformed physically and digitally. What are some of these skills you may wonder? The most recent fixation of mine explores the intersection of industrial design and art direction, learning how to fabricate and engineer materials and forms to give more versatile options and range of voices to my work. From laser etching stone signs to 3D printing lace invites, no idea is ever too far from my reach.
But really, why should we work together?
While I have a lot to say about my thinking and creative process, we’ve established you are a person who needs convincing. What are big ideas without experience to back them? Currently, I intern at BooneOakley as an Art Direction Intern where I explore design, photo, copywriting, and production across a wide variety of project and client types including Destin Fort-Walton Beach, Eastwood Homes, Vogue Tyres, and Agam. I am also the design and creative director for a student-led and published cultural art magazine, MIDAS Magazine, with 3 years of experience leading teams of 8+ designers and photographers through the concepting, production, printing, and promotional processes. In previous internship positions I have served as a lead photographer and designer for UNC Charlotte’s Licensing department where I art directed large scale campaigns for brands like Homefield Apparel and ‘47. I also worked as an intern for UNC Charlotte Recreation’s Outreach and Engagement department where I produced design and photography for events, classes, campaigns, and more. In my free time, I enjoy taking on projects that fuel my innovative passion working with local inventors, visionaries, and dreamers to develop branding, promotion, and awareness for new projects and products.
AWARDS + RECOGNITIONS
Silver ADDY
American Advertising Federation
2026
Student Niner Media Leader of the Year
MIDAS Magazine
2026
NCMA First Place Cover
MIDAS Magazine
2026
2x Executive Editor of the Year
MIDAS Magazine
2024-2025, 2025-2026
57th Juried Exhibition
UNC Charlotte Rowe Gallery
2025
Feminine Identity (solo exhibition)
Hillsborough Arts Council
2023
Graphic Design Excellence
UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture
2026
NCMA Best of Show
MIDAS Magazine
2026
CoA+A 2025 Study Abroad Photo Competition Winner
UNC Charlotte
2025
Global Studies Exhibition
UNC Charlotte Lambla Gallery
2024
Congressional Art Competition Top 10
2023
Best Designer of the Year
MIDAS Magazine
2024