Hi, I’m Sarah Richards. I’m a Creative & Art Director with 12+ years of experience leading immersive, narrative-driven brand experiences across immersive digital platforms, virtual worlds and experiential environments. I design for behaviour as much as emotion, translating brand DNA into experiences that give audiences a reason to participate, share and make it their own. I lead multidisciplinary teams across art, design, game design and engineering, aligning creative ambition with technical and production realities.…

Sarah Richards

Hi, I’m Sarah Richards. I’m a Creative & Art Director with 12+ years of experience leading immersive, narrative-driven brand experiences across immersive digital platforms, virtual worlds and experiential environments. I design for behaviour as much as emotion, translating brand DNA into experiences that give audiences a reason to participate, share and make it their own. I lead multidisciplinary teams across art, design, game design and engineering, aligning creative ambition with technical and production realities.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Sarah Richards. I’m a Creative & Art Director with 12+ years of experience leading immersive, narrative-driven brand experiences across immersive digital platforms, virtual worlds and experiential environments.

I design for behaviour as much as emotion, translating brand DNA into experiences that give audiences a reason to participate, share and make it their own. I lead multidisciplinary teams across art, design, game design and engineering, aligning creative ambition with technical and production realities.

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Work Experience

Designer at Emperia VR
November 1, 2022 - February 1, 2024
Designing the visual merchandising of spatial designs to maximise placement of products. Development of UI designs to demonstrate user interactions within new virtual spaces. Visual merchandising concept used in Emperia’s promotional video to demonstrate proposed Apple Vision Pro app functionality.
Senior Creative Designer at Karta Creative Ltd
February 1, 2024 - Present
Leading visual design and spatial storytelling for immersive brand experiences; designing visual merchandising concepts and user interfaces for new virtual spaces; driving brand translation across projects.
Senior 3D Media Developer at Vertex (TUPE from Raytheon)
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2022
Led the creation of a modernised style guide for media production; mentored 3D developers; lead 3D designer for 3D assets and scenes using 3Ds Max, Unity and Substance Painter; researched new technologies to create the first 3D interactive e-learning module; designed UI for VR across Submariner courses.
Digital Project Manager / Creative Designer at Polished Rock Ltd (Now MARTECH3D)
January 1, 2021 - January 1, 2021
Cross‑functional team member delivering projects from quotes and user journeys to delivery; developed concept documents, designed and modelled 3D assets, and created animations for marketing and client deliverables; led the delivery of a three minute explainer video; art directed and designed assets for three arcade games.
Senior 3D Media Developer at Babcock Marine Training
January 1, 2018 - January 1, 2021
Promoted to senior role managing media production for an entire course; improved media request process; mentored a Graduate 3D Developer; received Ovation Award (Oct 2019); developed a catalogue of naval 3D models.
VR Global Research Project Manager at Kantar Consulting Virtual Reality
January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2018
Led large, bespoke projects with international retailers and manufacturers; delivered a bespoke software tool for Unilever; provided ongoing technical support to internal teams in China for APAC; modelled 3D environments and assets using 3Ds Max, Unity and Auto CAD.
Senior VR Services Artist at Kantar Consulting Virtual Reality
January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2018
Progressed from junior to senior role, managing large projects with international clients; delivered high‑value VR services and supported major accounts across multiple regions.
VR Services Artist at Kantar Consulting Virtual Reality
January 1, 2014 - January 1, 2018
Early role focusing on VR services delivery for global clients; involved in 3D environment and asset creation and client facing design work.

Education

BA (Hons) Fine Art at University of Northampton
January 11, 2030 - April 9, 2026
Foundation in Art and Design at University of Northampton
January 11, 2030 - April 9, 2026

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet, Retail, Education, Professional Services
    uniE608 My Eurovision Party 2025 - Roblox
    The brief for bringing Eurovision into Roblox was complex. We had eight broadcasters across different European markets, all senior commissioning executives with their own priorities, alongside the EBU, but all with an overarching goal of reaching younger audiences. Working with a small group on the pitching team, I helped shape the narrative that Eurovision isn’t just a broadcast, it’s a cultural moment that younger audiences participate in, not just watch. I started with a question; how do you capture the energy of Eurovision's 200 million global audience in a virtual space, and adapt to the ever-growing content being produced in real time? My vision was to get to the heart of what Eurovision is really about; spectacle, diversity, and that sense of bringing people together through music. I didn’t just want to recreate the broadcast, I wanted to build a live-reactionary experience that audiences participate in and make their own. Inspired by the Alpine landscapes and the stage design, the world started out as a blank canvas that evolved, alongside the show, to become louder, brighter and more alive, shaped by those playing and inhabiting the experience. Leading the vision with this concept, the game designers reflected this through a rhythm-game where players earned Eurohearts to design their own watch parties and share their individuality. The environment itself changed, to match the broadcast format. A setting sun timer gradually disappeared into the landscape signaling the switch to night time, and the spectacle of the final shows. Eurovision and country colours filled the space. This creative vision shaped both the game design and the narrative we presented to clients, securing the project. With 1.2 million players over the course of the month, and 11.5 minutes average daily play time, the show as participatory experience proved that audiences engage when you meet them where they are. Alongside being renewed for 2026, the experience also garnered industry recognition, and I represented Karta as part of a BBC organised panel, ‘From IP to XP: Building Immersive Worlds For Gen Z’ at The Edinburgh TV Festival.…