Sarah Roulston

About Sarah Roulston

I build the systems and high-performing teams that drive design strategy and deliver exceptional customer experiences.Over 15 years at Microsoft, Amazon, and Getty Images, I’ve scaled and led teams from 4 to 27 (designers and managers) across multiple geographies, supporting products used by millions of customers globally. Through all of this, I have found the real hard work is designing teams with humanity and intention which in turn drives impact for customers and unlocks incredible business value.What I do:• Build research-driven operating models that position design to shape product experience and direction• Scale teams through inflection points: AI adoption, platform transformations, organizational change• Create infrastructure that turns ambiguity into velocity: frameworks, feedback loops, OKR systems anchoring teams to validated business opportunitiesSome of what I’ve built:• At Microsoft: Leading design teams navigating AI transformation in enterprise across Customer Insights, Customer Service, and currently Commerce. Established design-led investment planning moving design upstream to validate and design when and where intelligence belongs in enterprise experiences. Built dual-validation customer research model ensuring alignment between customer needs and willingness to pay, informing roadmap planning and investment decisions.• At Getty: Led platform transformation delivering baseline experience in 6 weeks, 95% of complete experience in 3 months, 2x team throughput, all while increasing cross-functional team satisfaction from 27% to 79%.• At Amazon: Presented to CEO and executive leadership on several first-of-their-kind products and launches for Kindle and Prime. Owned creative strategy and direction supporting Prime’s global growth across 7 international markets. Established company-wide design infrastructure enabling consistent delivery at scale.I’m drawn to teams and products where organizations need clarity, direction and community.

Experience

1. Principal Product Design Manager

   Microsoft

   Aug 2021 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Leading design teams navigating AI transformation across Customer Insights, Customer Service, and currently Commerce • Established design-led investment planning moving design upstream to validate and design when and where intelligence belongs in enterprise AI experiences • Built dual-validation customer research model ensuring alignment between customer needs and willingness to pay, informing roadmap planning and investment decisions • Scaled and integrated global design teams across multiple geographies while maintaining team stability and belonging through organizational evolution

Education

• Cottey College

  Associate of Arts, Design

  2002 — 2004

• California College of the Arts

  Bachelor of Arts, Design

  2004 — 2007

Skills

• Design
• Team Leadership
• Marketing
• Management
• Graphic Design
• Branding & Identity
• Visual Design
• Graphics
• Project Management
• Mac
• Layout
• Mobile Design
• Illustrator
• Typography
• Web Development
• Indesign
• Creative Direction
• Visual Communication
• Web Design
• Interaction Design
• Logo Design
• Mobile Devices
• Photography
• User Interface
• English
• Advertising
• Concept Development
• Adobe Acrobat
• Photoshop
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• User Experience
• Leadership
• Brochures
• Wireframes
• Social Media
• Illustration
• Art Direction
• Adobe Creative Suite
• User Interface Design