Portland International Airport
Experiential Graphic Design Firm of Record,
2018 - 2026, concept through completion
Sara Schmidt Design serves as the Primary Experiential Graphic Design Consultant for the Portland International Airport’s transformative Terminal Core Expansion—nearly 1 million square feet of new and reimagined space within a $2 billion redevelopment.
In partnership with ZGF Architects, our studio leads the creative direction and design of all experiential graphic elements across the terminal, including large-scale placemaking features, integrated artwork, digital installations, custom material-driven graphics, and signature wayfinding moments.
Our work brings the craft, nature, and storytelling of the Pacific Northwest into the heart of PDX, shaping a cohesive, human-centered traveler experience that will serve 35 million passengers annually.
Client: Port of Portland
Architecture: ZGF Architects
Construction: Hoffman Skanska
Randall Children’s Hospital, Legacy Health Portland, Oregon
Creative Director & Designer, Experiential Graphic Design
As the Creative Director and Designer for the SEGD award-winning Randall Children's Hospital in Portland, Oregon, Sara collaborated with the interior design team to create a healing environment that provides positive distraction and hope for patients, families, and staff. Partnering with ZGF Architects, the project aimed to consolidate pediatric care into a single, larger facility while infusing the space with inspiration and unexpected discoveries.
Through strategic environmental graphic design, art and graphics were integrated to create engaging destinations and enliven spaces with thoughtful visual storytelling. Drawing from research on children’s affinity for nature, the design incorporated regionally inspired color palettes and animal imagery throughout the hospital. This included art glass, a lobby frieze, wayfinding, and surface designs across all nine stories, fostering an environment that supports healing and well-being.
Photography by Nick Merrick / Pete Eckhert.
Architecture: ZGF
Nike Flagship Global Retail Stores
Art Director & Brand Experience Design Lead
While working in-house at Nike, Sara’s responsibilities as a lead experience designer for Nike stores, included art direction and design of 2D, 3D, and digital experiences. She lead the design of retail store environment and visual displays that highlighted Nike’s heritage, innovation, local and sustainability stories. These projects celebrated the brand’s legacy and future, creating immersive retail environments that engaged and inspired consumers.
Sara was the lead designer for NikePortland, NikeChicago, NikeSanFransisco, NikeEugene, Nike Running : New York City, Nike Basketball : Beijing, Nike Running : Beijing and others.
12W Indigo Building | ZGF Headquarters, Parking Garage, Residences
Creative Director, Artist & Designer
While working with ZGF, Sara Schmidt collaborated with the team to shape the vision for their new building. The process began with organizing company-wide design charrettes, workshops, and video interviews to gather insights and aspirations from the larger ZGF team. These findings were then consolidated into a custom book and website to guide the project’s direction.
As interior planning began, Sara led the environmental graphics, including the Slide Wall in the lobby—an installation crafted from 7,500 repurposed project slides. Inspired by their beauty, she designed the piece to honor ZGF’s past while embracing its future. She also worked closely with the interior design team to develop a colorful and intuitive wayfinding system for the parking garage and custom tile pattern artwork for the 17 residential floors above ZGF’s office.
Portland International Airport | Mosaic Murals
Artist & Designer
As the Environmental Graphic Design Consultant for Concourse B at PDX Airport, Sara Schmidt worked closely with ZGF Architects to infuse the 6,900-square-foot Alaska Airlines concourse with meaningful storytelling through art and design. Her role encompassed strategic artwork placement, collaboration on design concepts, and contributions to permanent architectural art.
Notably, this collaboration led to the creation of the North Woven Wood Wall, a tribute to Oregon’s craftsmanship and natural beauty, as well as two 650-square-foot mosaic murals in the washrooms, enhancing both aesthetics and wayfinding for passengers. More mosaic murals celebrating Oregon’s landscapes and native plants are set to debut soon at PDX.
Read more about the mosaic projects here.
Architecture & Interiors: ZGF
Client: Port of Portland
Tile Makers: Pratt & Larson
Portland International Airport | Concourse B, Woven Wood Welcome Wall
Environmental Graphic Design
As the Environmental Graphic Design Consultant for Concourse B at PDX Airport, Sara Schmidt worked closely with ZGF Architects to infuse the 6,900-square-foot Alaska Airlines concourse with meaningful storytelling through art and design. Her role included strategic artwork placement, collaboration on design concepts, and contributions to permanent architectural art.
Notably, this collaboration resulted in the creation of the iconic North Woven Wood Wall, a tribute to Oregon’s craftsmanship and natural beauty. Crafted from Oregon White Oak, the installation incorporates artwork by local artist Ryan Fedderson, seamlessly blending materiality and storytelling within the space.
Architecture & Interiors: ZGF
Client: Port of Portland
Photography by Mario Gallucci
Artwork Inserts by Ryan Fedderson
