Meet Kate — Founder & Creative Lead of Design Shop MPLS

Kate Carlson the Founder and Creative Lead at Design Shop MPLS with long dark hair, smiling, sitting in a wicker chair in a room with plants, a lamp, and a window.
A young Kate smiling and holding a cookie and a drink stands on a wooden outdoor staircase at dusk. She is wearing a black and white fuzzy jacket and pink pants, and carries a light-colored bag.
Red graphic of wings shaped like lightning bolts and wings, with a small lightning bolt above the body.
A woman and a baby boy with light hair and blue eyes in a cozy indoor setting, the woman is smiling and looking at the camera, while the baby is looking down, wearing a striped shirt, with a blurred background of a rustic room with open windows and green trees outside.

Hi, I’m Kate. I help brands feel like themselves—clear, confident, and fully alive. My work lives at the intersection of strategy, intuition, and human experience, where design doesn’t just look good, it connects.

I’ve always been a creative at heart. Raised by a fine artist and salesman in the print industry, design wasn’t just something I learned—it’s something I lived. But what really pulled me in wasn’t aesthetics alone. It was realizing how deeply design can shape how people feel, move, and experience a brand in the real world.

WHY  I DO THIS WORK

Design Shop MPLS was built out of a desire to do things differently. After years in the agency world, I reached a point where the traditional model no longer supported the life—or the kind of work—I wanted to be doing. I chose to build a studio on my own terms: personal, intentional, and deeply invested in the outcome.

I work best as a true creative partner. I listen closely, ask thoughtful questions, and stay hands-on from the first concept through final execution. No team handoffs. No diluted vision. Just clear direction, honest collaboration, and design that actually works.

Clients often tell me they feel seen, supported, and confident throughout the process. My sensitivity is one of my greatest strengths—it allows me to read between the lines, understand what’s unspoken, and translate complex ideas into cohesive, intentional brand systems.

WHAT IT'S LIKE WORKING WITH ME

You don’t need a massive agency to get expert design—you need the right partner. Someone who understands business and people. Someone who can guide the process without steamrolling your vision.

With over a decade of agency experience and more than seven years running my own studio, I bring clarity, calm leadership, and creative direction to every project. My work spans brand strategy and identity, packaging, campaigns, websites, and immersive environments—from restaurants and consumer packaged goods to brands that sell and create a community thats eager to connect.

I regularly collaborate with printers, building contractors and signage manufacturers to ensure brands don’t just live on screens—but come to life in physical spaces. Every touchpoint matters, and I design with the full experience in mind.

MY APPROACH

Thoughtful design rooted in strategy, intuition, and collaboration.

I believe the strongest brands are built from the inside out. My role is to help you uncover what makes your business distinct, shape it visually, and bring it into the world with confidence and clarity.

If you’re looking for a creative partner—not just a designer—I’d love to work together.

A collage of four photos of Kate with long dark hair wearing a white top with red embroidery, smiling in a room with a plant and window in the background.

A few things you should probably know about me

  • Three young children sitting on stairs, with varied facial expressions.

    I have three wonderfully chaotic kids (7, 5, and 4). They are their own special tribe, and all very creative.

  • Living room with beige armchairs, a black coffee table, a fireplace, decorations, and a staircase with dark wood railing.

    I also run an interior staging and styling company with my mom and sister. Creativity runs in the family.

  • A person holding a metal colander filled with ripe, large, red tomatoes. The person is wearing black clothing and striped slippers. The colander is positioned above a gardening bed with soil, a yellow and orange marigold flower, and green leafy plants.

    I love growing my garden each year. I would’ve been a chef in another life, turns out creating experiences from scratch can be done many ways.

  • A man with glasses, a beard, and a tattoo on his arm, wearing a brown t-shirt and black shorts, is working outdoors at a woodworking project. He is holding a piece of wood and standing near a workbench, with tools and wooden planks around him. Behind him, there is a green house with a window and some leafless tree branches. The man is sweating and appears to be focused on his task.

    My husband is a Carpenter and I rope him in to projects as much as I can.

  • Yes, I did have a classic boys bowl cut until I was approximately 6 years old. The sparkly headbands helped (I think).