Multidisciplinary Creative. Senior Art Director. Illustrator. Strategic Thinker.
This “Small Fry” helps me produce the best designs.
This “Grumpy Old Man” takes care of quality control.
Bio
I'm Kimberly Coles, senior art director, creative lead, and founder of Happy Monday — a multidisciplinary design practice based in Indianapolis that blends strategy, brand, campaign, illustration, and digital into meaningful visual experiences.
With over 25 years of professional experience working with clients in healthcare, tech, destination, and creative organizations, I build work that is both strategic and visually engaging. Previously, I was Director of UX/UI, leading multi-disciplinary teams and shaping interactive experiences. I’ve worked on both the agency and client sides, helping brands craft their identity across digital and traditional mediums.
Approach
My work starts with research, strategy, and concepting — understanding the audience, the problem, and the communication goal before a single pixel moves. From there I work across the full creative arc: art direction, brand systems, campaigns, illustration, icon design, presentation design, print, and digital. UX/UI is part of how I work, not how I'm defined.
Design systems are central to how I structure complex creative and digital work. I've built Figma-based component libraries and scalable UI frameworks used across SaaS platforms, dashboards, and large marketing websites — defining reusable patterns for typography, layout, navigation, and interaction that help teams maintain consistency and scale over time.
I founded Happy Monday as an independent creative practice where I partner with agencies and organizations across the U.S., UK, and Dubai on a wide range of creative engagements. Clients have included Humana, Hancock Health, Indiana University, Delta Faucet Company, and agencies and organizations across healthcare, biotech, life sciences, higher education, tourism, and more.
I partner with clients who value strategic clarity, thoughtful design, and visual storytelling — whether the work is brand identity, campaigns, illustration, surface pattern design, or digital. I also serve as a white-label design partner for agencies needing senior-level art direction, brand, and illustration support.
