Katie Vellman

Project Statement

Unlike our food industry, our cosmetics are widely unregulated. Though many ingredients used routinely in beauty products are safe, many of them have the potential to pose serious health risks. How does one navigate the ‘dirty list’ of skincare ingredients as a consumer? The Safe Beauty Project's goal is to raise awareness of toxic cosmetic ingredients by leveraging a user-centric digital tool that explores the question — how might we empower health-conscious beauty consumers to make more informed decisions about their skincare products?

Artist Statement

Katie Vellman is a digital designer and beauty expert with a passion for sustainability. Though her career journey has been unconventional, she’s found much joy in collaboration and endless inspiration in the creative community.

As Katie navigated her 20-year career in the beauty business, she found herself pursuing moments of small change within the industry systems. She was constantly searching for the most eco-friendly products and practices, and listening intently to the needs of fellow artists and stylists. Katie recently found her call to action through design, focusing on projects to transform beauty into better business.

Katie’s work as a designer explores the connection between science and craft at the intersection of health, chemistry, and technology. Her eye for aesthetics is inspired by fashion and architecture with a post-modern minimalist feel. While she likes to explore a wide breadth of design mediums, her approach is always thoughtful and collaborative.

MFA in Collaborative Design