Sarah Vallo
BFA: Graphic Design - Double Major in BA: Interactive Media - User Experience Design Certificate
Artist Name:
Sarah Vallo
Work Title:
Myelin Metropolis
Medium:
Inkjet print on semi-matte photographic paper, chipboard, spray adhesive, hand-cut
Artist Statement:
Myelin Metropolis reimagines the iconic New York City subway map as a meditation on what happens when those pathways break down. Inspired by my early studies in wayfinding design, this interactive installation invites viewers to take a seat at the table and engage with a fragmented grid: to move the pieces, remove them, and witness the system unravel.
Each missing piece mirrors a relapse of Multiple Sclerosis, the disease I was diagnosed with at the start of college. In MS, the immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibers and leaves scar tissue in its wake. Signals slow, stall, and misfire. The effects are unpredictable, invisible, and deeply disorienting.
Like a city whose transit lines have gone quiet, the body still knows where it wants to go.
Artist Bio:
Sarah is a graphic and UX/UI designer graduating with a dual degree in Graphic Design and Interactive Digital Media. She approaches every project with curiosity, empathy, and a deep belief that good design requires a bit of theatre: timing, storytelling, and making people feel something.
Her work is rooted in user-centered thinking, shaped in part by her own experience living with Multiple Sclerosis since the beginning of college. That perspective has given her a unique lens for designing in the healthcare space and a genuine investment in creating experiences that are not only beautiful, but deeply considerate of the people who use them.
When she isn't designing, Sarah can be found on stage where she's learned that the best stories, like the best design, know exactly when to let the audience lean in.
Artist Portfolio: