UX/UI DESIGNER

sarah hollister

This improves performance.

starbucks

I've coached professionally for 15+ years!

skates

My happy place.

figma

Everything starts with rectangles!

starbucks

This is where I lose track of time.

macbook

I've traveled to 8+ countries!

passport

Designing for FinTech and MarTech solutions.

Before designing digital experiences, I spent years as a competitive figure skater and coach, where I developed the discipline, empathy, and problem-solving mindset that now shape my work as a UX/UI Designer at TDECU, Houston's largest credit union. I'm also pursuing my Master's in Information Design and Strategy at Northwestern University (go wildcats!), combining research, strategy, and design to create experiences that spark joy and make an impact.

User Research UX Strategy Figma Design Systems A/B Testing CRO HTML/CSS Email Design Accessibility

View my work 

My design process usually starts with a brain dump, a lot of sticky notes, and the belief that the best ideas show up somewhere in the middle of the mess.

Professional sticky note collector.

Work that I’m proud of.

Kind words.

  • Sarah’s most admirable trait is her ability to not only absorb new skills, but to also apply those new skills to practical applications within TDECU. As her manager, Sarah is very teachable and open to new ways of working, which makes working with her very collaborative.

    —Ernie Rausa, User Experience Manager @ TDECU

  • Sarah stands out not only for her design skills but also for her deep empathy and commitment to clarity. Her attention to detail and ability to take on out of scope challenges demonstrates her passion for growth.

    —Julio Ramirez, Senior UI/UX Designer @ TDECU

  • One of Sarah's standout qualities is her empathetic approach to UX design. She truly understands the importance of user-centered design and consistently puts herself in the user's shoes to create solutions that are not only functional but also meaningful.

    —Brengi Maximo-Lopez, Instructor @ Rice University

  • Sarah consistently demonstrated a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of user-centric design principles. Their ability to empathize with users and translate those insights into intuitive and compelling designs is truly impressive.

    —Matthew Stone, Instructor @ Rice University

Featured writing.

  • tj-maxx

    The Psychology of the Hunt: UX Research in Off-Price Retail

    Read on Medium
  • shopping-cart

    The Surprisingly Complicated UX of a Shopping Cart

    Read on Medium
  • pinterest

    Inside Pinterest: The Information Architecture of Inspiration

    Read on Medium
  • figure-skating

    How Figure Skating Prepared me for a Career in UX/UI Design

    Read on Medium
  • northwestern

    How I Chose the Right UX Master’s Program (And Why I Picked Northwestern)

    Read on Medium

  • Designing for the Caregiver in the Middle: Exploring Emotional Design Through Caregiving Personas

    Read on Medium