Name of owner: Kristin Richards Lauricella
Location, Website, Email, Phone:
Waitsfield, LauricellaDesign.com, Email:
Description of your business?
At Lauricella Design, I work with organizations and businesses to create design solutions – from brand identities and print materials to websites and digital assets. With over 25 years of experience as a graphic designer and creative director, I specialize in turning complex ideas into clear, compelling visuals. I’m proud to support organizations locally and across the country as they share their stories through effective design.
Who are your customers?
I partner with clients across many sectors – from national nonprofits and educational institutions to small businesses and international organizations. Most of my work comes through referrals.
What makes your business unique?
I combine the flexibility of an independent studio with the experience of a seasoned creative professional. This allows me to take on projects thoughtfully. My practical, detail-driven approach keeps projects on strategy and moving smoothly from concept through completion.
How long have you been in business?
I’ve been a professional designer for more than 25 years and established Lauricella Design about 20 years ago. Freelancing allowed me to maintain a strong client base no matter where we lived, and it meant I was able to spend summers working from The Valley long before we moved back permanently.
Personal background:
I lived here as a young child until my family moved to Maryland, and although we visited frequently, it was never enough. Returning to The Valley permanently has been a longtime goal.
After graduating from the University of Delaware with a degree in Visual Communications, I began my career at a design studio in Bethesda, Maryland. In 1997, after marrying my husband, Chris, we moved to New York City. While he attended grad school, I worked in studios, ad agencies, and in-house creative departments at places like Showtime Networks and Sesame Workshop. By the time we left NYC, I had built a small client base that allowed me to transition into independent freelance work.
Since then, freelancing has provided flexibility when our children were young and allowed me to grow my business wherever Chris’s career took us – Boston, Cambridge, and various regions of NY state. Now that we are finally – and very happily – back inTthe Valley, I’m excited to continue growing my business here in Vermont and within the community we love.
Best advice you would give someone starting a business?
Be curious. Before starting my freelance business, I soaked up everything I could from the people I worked with and for. I asked questions, paid attention to the work happening outside my own role, and learned from colleagues who were generous with their expertise. Those early years of “apprenticing” built my confidence and provided the foundation I needed when I eventually launched my own studio.
What do you like best about the business?
I genuinely enjoy solving puzzles – and a lot of design is exactly that, just through a visual lens. It’s especially fun when a project comes together in a way that surprises and delights a client. That moment when they first see the work and their energy shifts – those sparks are incredibly satisfying.
What was your first job?
Ha, – grooming dogs! My first creative job was an internship at the Discovery Channel.
What was your most fun job?
I loved working with the folks at Sesame Workshop. We partnered on many wonderful projects, but getting to visit the set of Sesame Street and art-direct a photoshoot with Grover was definitely a highlight.
More recently, designing the 2026 Men of the Mad River Valley fundraising calendar was an absolute hoot! I met some great people, gave back to my community, and had a chance to collaborate with my sister and brother-in-law, who did the photography. Fun all around!
Claim to fame?
I’ve created design work for organizations many people know – Sesame Workshop, the American Museum of Natural History, and Teach for America, among them – but locally, designing the T-shirt for Warren’s Fourth of July Parade these last two years felt pretty special.
What do you like best about The Valley?
The community, without a doubt. Two generations ago, my family first came here for the skiing at Mad River, but it quickly became apparent that what makes this place special extends far beyond skiing. The Valley is grounding and has always felt like home, even when I didn't actually live here. Of course, it’s beautiful – but lots of places are beautiful. What truly sets the MRV apart is its soul: the people, and the genuine way they show up for one another.
When you're not working, what are you doing?
Time spent with my family is my favorite thing – whether it's skiing, hiking, yoga, or just impromptu dance parties in the kitchen – it’s always more fun when we do it together. I also love throwing pottery, painting (really, just playing with color in any medium), and analyzing movies with my kids (both creatives themselves). Those are the things that fuel me.
