Meet Karen – Intuitive Graphic & Web Designer for Heart-Centered Brands

Hi, I am Karen Wegehenkel, it’s so nice to meet you! Since you are here, let me tell you a bit more about myself. I am an Intuitive Graphic Designer, and my favorite clients are companies selling products or services that make the world a better place, because this is how I feel I can make a difference.

How is my graphic design intuitive you might ask? Meditation has helped me become a better person, and meditation is helping me become a better designer. With intuition, awareness and certain questions I get to the core of my clients’ business goals and intentions, to elevate their business and help them express their truest selves. For examples on this, please hop over to my blog.

I call the beautiful Rogue Valley in southern Oregon my home, but that doesn’t really matter because I can work from anywhere! So if you are curious about what I do, maybe want to work with me or just want to say hi, please connect with me.

My Design Origin Story

I was practically born with a pencil in hand — I’m happiest when I create. Add some pragmatism into the mix and voila! You get a designer 🙂

Spending my childhood in a socialist country, my future was practically decided from birth: I’d go to school, learn a trade, and work in that trade for the rest of my life. Simple, right? So, I went to school and then got accepted to apprentice in a prestigious trade, assuming I’d do that until retirement. But life is unpredictable. The wall (which separated East Germany from the west) came down in my first year of apprenticeship, and the socialist country ceased to exist. In a shock of awe I realized: The whole world was now open to be explored!

And exploring I did: during my apprenticeship years I took trips to some gorgeous places in Europe, like Rome, Venice, Paris. After completing my training and with a now useless degree under my belt, I went to university, where I got access to the WWW and Adobe Photoshop 1.0 and took to it like the duck to water. With the rise of the internet I started designing and implementing my first website, and even got hired by a small local business to do theirs. The web was brand new and so exciting!

During my last year at university I applied for an internship with Amazon, not really expecting anything to happen. But yo and behold—only a few hours later I got the ‘ACCEPTED!’ email! What a rush! I had to scramble to button up my life in Dresden in Saxony and relocate within the week to Regensburg in Bavaria, and a few months later I flew off to Seattle for 6 full, fun, gorgeous months, after which I got hired to work at Amazon’s German subsidiary in Munich – as a screen designer.

The next two years really kickstarted my design career. I loved everything about it: the small dynamic teams, the heavy workload, the friendships, designing on a computer all day, and going out with like minded people at night. I felt like I was part of a big family and I was living the dream.

Through my American husband who had joined me at Amazon in Munich I had the opportunity to move to Seattle for good. In 2002 I took the leap over the ocean, to the other side of the world, into an entirely different culture.

These were exciting times, but also hard. The projects I was still doing for Amazon as a freelancer fizzled out before we were able to find other ways to replace that income. So I started my own business, my husband found employment, and life was looking up again.

In 2004 our beautiful baby girl arrived, and now I juggled child rearing with running my own business, which left barely enough time to work on designs, let alone look for new clients. Through a stroke of luck I got contacted by a developer from Florida who was looking for a designer to complete her team. It was a match made in heaven, and over the next 17 years we worked together on many projects.

During the big shift in the early 2020s I got reoriented to really focus on the clients I most cared about: people and businesses with a mission to make this world a better place. Because that’s what I care for deeply myself, and by serving businesses like that I feel that I’m able to make a real difference in the world — while doing what I do best and absolutely love — designing!

Below, find some more detailed facts about my work experience, education and skills.

So if you are just starting a new business or want to give your existing marketing material a facelift, you are at the right place! Big or small, I can help your business grow, with beautifully coherent designs though all your communications. With my over two decades of experience in visual brand development, marketing and website design, I have developed a simple-to-follow step by step process to guide you in getting the branding, website and marketing materials your business needs.

All you need is an idea. Together we will achieve everything else.

On a personal note…

Originally from (East) Germany, I came to the US – in the pursuit of happiness – in early 2000. As such I have a unique view on the world, can think outside of the box and take your ideas into directions you might not even have considered. In my spare time – when I don’t meditate – I draw, paint, sculpt, create photos, watch my daughter grow, dig around in the garden, go for long hikes with my dog, play with horses, meet with friends, cook yummy food, and much more. The days are too short!

Creating art has always been my passion. With being an intuitive designer I am living my dream and I am very grateful that I can occupy my days with something I love so much!

Karen