About Us

Shades of Design makes it possible for large or small businesses and people to market themselves and their products in a modern, sophisticated, and professional manner. Our customers are able to design their own products, or get the help of our graphic design professionals to create the best possible marketing materials for their needs. Shades of Design supplies a large range of quality products, and the design tools necessary to create each item, so everything you or our staff creates is the eye catching material you want for your business.

The idea for Shades of Design came from a final project for Lindsey Hayden's promotional design class. Lindsey needed to come up with a fictional business and create all the promotional products for that business - a logo, business card, promotional poster, brochure, letterhead, and an envelope. As the semester and the project went on, Lindsey liked the idea of Shades of Design being a real business more and more. In 2008, after graduating from University of Wisconsin - Madison, Lindsey and another fellow graphic design student, Kayla Taylor, decided to make that idea a reality.  

The two worked on these projects in their apartment for two years until they finally were able to afford office space in downtown Madison, WI. Two years after that, in 2012, they were expanding to a bigger office with more and more people joining their design team. Four years later they opened their second design studio in Eau Claire, WI., and are in the process of acquiring a space in St. Paul, MN. What started out as a fake business for a class, turned into a company creating all kinds of marketing products for people and businesses all over the US.