“It’s an absolute pleasure to recommend Sarah Gibbons, one of the most creative and dedicated UX professionals I’ve had the honor of knowing. I first met Sarah as a student at NC State’s College of Design, and even back then, she amazed me with her ability to think outside the box and craft human-centered solutions that were as innovative as they were thoughtful. Watching Sarah’s career unfold has been nothing short of inspiring. At IBM, I had the chance to work alongside her and saw firsthand how her creativity transformed projects. Whether she was designing a universal system that unified teams or leading mobile UX efforts for Watson Workspace, Sarah consistently brought fresh perspectives and ideas that elevated the organization as whole. Now, as Senior Vice President at Nielsen Norman Group, Sarah’s impact is even more profound. She’s reimagining how design processes and the discipline itself adapt to the rise of AI. Sarah is leading conversations and strategies around how AI can enhance design workflows, support deeper user insights, and create smarter, more empathetic experiences. Her forward-thinking approach is helping shape the future of UX and preparing organizations to integrate AI in a way that holistically serves the discipline. What I admire most about Sarah is how naturally her creativity flows into every aspect of her work. She doesn’t just solve problems—she envisions entirely new possibilities and brings them to life with boldness, empathy, and a visionary approach that inspires others to reimagine what’s possible. It’s been a privilege to watch her journey from a talented student to a world-class leader in UX, and I feel incredibly lucky to call her a trusted colleague and friend.”
About
Activity
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Huge shout-out to the few after-Config event organizers who approved RSVPs on a first-come, first-served basis instead of on where you worked. The…
Huge shout-out to the few after-Config event organizers who approved RSVPs on a first-come, first-served basis instead of on where you worked. The…
Liked by Sarah Gibbons
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So enjoyed being profiled by Rob Belk on his substack, Rambull. It's fun talking about things you love 😆 Kudos to Sarah Gibbons Jeremy Mulliez…
So enjoyed being profiled by Rob Belk on his substack, Rambull. It's fun talking about things you love 😆 Kudos to Sarah Gibbons Jeremy Mulliez…
Liked by Sarah Gibbons
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A very wise colleague today: “[A tradeoff we are working through] is probably a symptom of the industry becoming deconstructed before our eyes and…
A very wise colleague today: “[A tradeoff we are working through] is probably a symptom of the industry becoming deconstructed before our eyes and…
Posted by Sarah Gibbons
Experience & Education
Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
Publications
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A Model for Conducting UX Workshops and Exercises
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationTo ensure activity participants get the most out of UX activities, use a three-step process to conduct them: explain, execute, and examine.
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Using Prioritization Matrices to Inform UX Decisions
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationVisuals such as charts and matrices can help practitioners base important decisions on objective, relevant criteria instead of subjective opinions.
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The 5 Steps to Service Blueprinting
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationFive key steps comprise a framework for service blueprinting that can be scaled to any scope or timeline.
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Empathy Mapping: The First Step in Design Thinking
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationVisualizing user attitudes and behaviors in an empathy map helps UX teams align on a deep understanding of end users. The mapping process also reveals any holes in existing user data.
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UX Mapping Methods Compared: A Cheat Sheet
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationEmpathy maps, customer journey maps, experience maps, and service blueprints depict different processes and have different goals, yet they all build common ground within an organization.
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Service Blueprints: Definition
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationService blueprints visualize organizational processes in order to optimize how a business delivers a user experience.
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UX Stories Communicate Designs
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationHelp audiences empathize with users and buy into your design goals with well- crafted stories that build insight and focus on users and their needs.
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Design Critiques: Encourage a Positive Culture to Improve Products
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationOpen feedback is essential for a collaborative UX process. However, sharing unfinished work is naturally uncomfortable and often generates tension. The right facilitation process can foster an efficient, honest feedback loop.
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Design Thinking Builds Strong Teams
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationNot only does design thinking foster innovation, but it also strengthens teams by creating common vocabulary and artifacts, and a trust-based team culture.
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Design Thinking 101
Nielsen Norman Group
See publicationWhat is design thinking and why should you care? History and background plus a quick overview and visualization of 6 phases of the design thinking process. Approaching problem solving with a hands-on, user-centric mindset leads to innovation, and innovation can lead to differentiation and a competitive advantage.
Projects
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AIGA Design Conference: Mainstage Speaker
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Talk UX Boston: Speaker + Workshop Facilitator
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Digital Summit Boston: Mainstage Speaker
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Recommendations received
4 people have recommended Sarah
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