Meet Kate Hanson | Designer & Art Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Hanson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I love sending snail mail, but I always found it difficult to find greeting cards that weren’t too cheesy. I wanted to merge two of my favorite things, design and music, to create a fun line of greetings cards that would make people smile. The key was to keep the insides blank so customers could write their own, authentic messages.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own Kate Hanson Creative aside from my full-time career. It’s a small, one-person agency specializing in everything from web design and branding, to illustration, to UX consulting. I recently added a music-based greeting card shop on my website. I like to work with small companies and startups to get them off the ground. I have only ever operated on word-of-mouth advertising which ensures all of my clients are recommended by someone I know and vice versa. What I love about owning a small business is that I can curate something that adheres to what matters to me most. I print all of my cards locally in Denver on recycled paper. I focus a lot on zero-to-little waste. I love adding new skills to my portfolio and have illustrated 3 children’s books which is a path I’d love to continue on. Kate Hanson Creative is the perfect supplement to my 9-5 where I can let my right brain take flight.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Denver is such a beautiful, lively, inspiring city to live in. My favorite place here is the Denver Art Museum. I try to get there every few months to check out a new exhibit or go sketch for a bit. I love going to Linger for dinner. It sits on a high viewpoint of Denver and was an old mortuary that was converted to a restaurant. In the spirit of getting outdoors, taking a walk around Sloan Lake is a great way to start the morning and get some fresh air. One of the coolest new spots in Denver is Meow Wolf and that is a must-see as well!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m a 3rd generation artist so a lot of my creativity is in my blood. I can especially thank my Dad as I’ve followed closely in his career footsteps. I always have my wonderful family to support my passions, but I’ve also been lucky to have wonderful mentors throughout my life and career. I need to thank my Graphic Design professor, Pat Olson from St. Kate’s. She is an incredible artist who I’ve always admired and have stayed in touch with for 15 years since graduation. My career mentor is someone that I’ve worked with more than once, Meredith Williamson. She’s a really talented designer who always challenged me to dive deeper and ask “why”. Someone else I’d like to shout out to is Elle Luna who has a beautiful design mind. I took her course “Finding Your Must” which is what kick-started my path on creating my own company.

Website: katehansoncreative.com

Instagram: @katewillcreate

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kate-hanson-69a2813