As a mom of three wildly energetic boys, I often find myself living a modern version of a childhood game my sister and I used to play: dead man walking. It's a daily shuffle through the beautiful chaos of a house full of noise, dirt, and a constant trail of half-empty coffee mugs. I am Katherine Ives, the creative engine behind BoyMomWalking Creative. In a home overflowing with boy energy, design naturally became my ultimate feminine balance. Today, I bring that exact same survival instinct, high-level grit, and deep empathy to the branding world—helping small businesses and nonprofits build lasting community trust (while drinking entirely too much coffee along the way).
BoyMomWalking
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Driven to pursue intimate creative opportunities while raising my three boys, I spent the last eight years mastering how to communicate through design for a nonprofit with global reach. I understand that mission-driven design must uniquely speak to donors, volunteers, advocates, and—most importantly—beneficiaries. I dive deep into user psychology, ensuring an elderly visitor has intuitive navigation, a patient in crisis meets a calming color palette, or a panicked user finds critical resources instantly. Today, I combine my technical corporate roots with deep empathy to help nonprofits and small businesses build lasting community trust.
Empathy-Driven Strategy
THE PURPOSE
After gaining invaluable small-business insight interning for Abbi Ferrin in Dallas, I stepped into corporate design with the Fossil Group, working on the Fossil men's apparel line. Craving a new challenge, I transitioned to Skagen Denmark—an established global watch brand acquired by Fossil—to help launch their very first line of men’s and women’s handbags and small leather goods. Working on an incredibly lean team, we quite literally incubated the entire collection in a corporate conference room before ever earning a space on the main design floor. In this role, I mastered the art of translating flat, 2D concepts into complex, manufacturable technical drawings—navigating the hidden layers of internal structural support and finishings. During this season, I also fell in love with visual storytelling, experimenting with custom textile prints and designing my own comprehensive wedding stationery suite—a passion project that eventually launched into a small business creating custom paper goods for life's sweetest milestones.
Corporate Scale & Storytelling
THE EVOLUTION
Creativity has flowed through my veins for as long as I can remember. Long before I was designing digital layouts, I was frequently getting in trouble for treating my own arms and legs as my original canvas as the creative ideas flowed freely. That early, tactile obsession with creating evolved at four years old when I learned to sew in my grandmother’s basement—surrounded by the nostalgic, musty aroma of overwintering plants and stored pool toys. It was there where I discovered early on how separate, raw pieces could be thoughtfully brought together to create something meaningful, whether it be complex multi layered garments or simple pillows for my beloved dogs. This lifelong passion led me to the University of Alabama, where I earned my bachelor's degree in Apparel Design. It was there that I formalized my eye for structure, texture, and aesthetic balance, falling in love with technical design and the complex problem-solving required to bring a purposeful, final piece to life.
Technical Roots & Structure
THE FOUNDATION
— Katherine Ives, BMW Creative
I design with empathy and technical intent, to communicate across complex audiences and build lasting community trust.