New Digital Design and Website/E-Commerce tutor Sara Barbosa brings international flavour to the NZIE team.
By Scott Donaldson
Author & Content Specialist
Born in Brazil and raised in Australia, Sara has completed a number of website and graphic design roles in both South Australia and New Zealand.
She has now joined the teaching team for the NZIE Digital Marketing Diploma course.
Sara’s qualifications and experience
In 2016, Sara completed a Visual Communications degree in Graphic Design from the University of South Australia.
She picked up her first role as a Junior Graphic Designer at the University of Adelaide, before working for Axiom Publishing, a small publishing company in Adelaide.
Since then, Sara has worked with a number of studios in Adelaide on projects which include marketing, television and publishing, before moving to New Zealand in 2019.
“What was to be a one-week vacation has turned into four wonderful years in this country,” she says. “Being passionate about nature and the environment, I have found my home here.”
She has shifted her work from graphic design to website roles since coming to New Zealand.
“I came to New Zealand and started taking on personal projects with startups and small businesses to improve their website performance or visibility,” she says.
When she isn’t working, Sara is studying towards a Master of User Experience Design (MUXD) at the Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka.
“This will help me keep up with new technologies and understand the dimensions of usability to create more meaningful experiences,” she says.
Sara also brings three years of teaching experience to NZIE, from the YOOBEE College of Creative Innovation.
Sara has an adventurous streak.
One of her favourite memories is being thrown off a plane, while skydiving when she was 20.
There was no time to stop for second thoughts when she was up in the plane, because when she did, her instructor had already jumped out.
“I closed my eyes. I couldn’t look. Not until the parachute was opened and I could feel myself floating in the sky,” Sara says.
She remembers the carefree feeling of the skydive fondly, as if no worries could touch her in the sky.
“It was one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. It was peaceful and my heart was beating so loud I thought I could hear its rhythm,” she says.
“I learned that day that sometimes, even if we think we are not ready, we need to jump anyway. The most beautiful views are waiting just outside.”
When she isn’t studying or working, you will see Sara in the garden taking care of her 50 plants including monsteras, pothos and succulents.
She also loves having friends over to play tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. She also plays video games, with her favourites being The Last of Us, Bioshock series, Pokemon and Mario!
Why does Sara enjoy creative digital and web design?
What inspires Sara the most is to learn how people engage with technologies and consider the experience as a whole when designing. She likes to create deliverables that will make a positive impact on people’s lives.
“To me, it is about communicating visually different messages and stories that get to the heart of the audience,” she says.
What can students learn from her Digital Design and Website E-Commerce classes?
Sara’s biggest aim is to provide the students with skills and design knowledge that may be applied into creating deliverables.
She would like students to use different methods, test their skills, push themselves in ways they never thought about before.
“I want students to explore their creativity, the part of them that usually remains hidden. To create designs that are both personal and meaningful,” she says.
“I hope they leave the course with more confidence in themselves – being able to express creatively in the digital marketing world.”
Sara’s advice for NZIE students
Sara doesn’t want students to be afraid of making mistakes.
“Mistakes mean students are trying something new. And with each of these mistakes, listen to what the tutors have to say and learn from those mistakes,” she says.
“Growth will come when you put yourself out of your comfort zone, try something new and discover whether you like it or not.”
Sara is teaching Digital Design and Website and E-Commerce as part of the NZIE Digital Marketing Diploma. Sign up for the next intake of the NZIE Digital Marketing Diploma.
