BRANDING & DESIGN STUDIO FOR BRANDS THAT WANT TO BE REMEMBERED
Logo of The Aligned Agent Co. with green background and white text in ticket shape.

BRANDING & DESIGN STUDIO FOR BRANDS THAT WANT TO BE REMEMBERED

Brands that tell a story —

not just sell a product.

Based in Minneapolis, MN.
Working with clients nationwide.

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BRANDING

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PACKAGING

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WEB

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INTERIOR DESIGN

| BRANDING | PACKAGING | WEB | INTERIOR DESIGN

I'm the creative partner restaurateurs, product founders, and businesses call when they need more than just a logo —illustration-driven brands with custom storytelling and organic design, cohesive across every touchpoint. One designer, start to finish. No handoffs, no mismatched vision.

Let's get cooking 
CAPABILITIES

  • + Brand Foundation
    + Competitive Analysis
    + Target Audience
    + Brand Discovery
    + Brand Look + Feel
    + Brand Messaging

  • + Brand Audits
    + Naming
    + Logo System
    + Patterns
    + Iconography
    + Photography
    + Illustrations
    + Brand Guideline

  • + Food & Beverage
    + Beauty Products
    + DTC Products
    + Influencer PR Packages

  • + Branded Swag
    + Business System
    + Marketing Campaigns
    + Seasonal Campaigns
    + Social Media Templates
    + Presentation Templates
    + Sales Kits

  • + Website Consultations
    + Website Design + Development
    + Custom Squarespace Sites
    + Training Sessions

  • + Storefront Design
    + Way-finding
    + Office Design
    + Space Planning
    + Space Styling
    + Installation Design
    + Trade Show Design
    + Vehicle Design
    + Styling & Staging

Learn More About Our Services
A patterned fabric featuring vertical coral-colored stripes and horizontal soft pink stripes on a beige background.
photo of kate standing by her design desk

Kate is the Creative Lead & Founder of DSMPLS

Born and raised in Minnesota, I've been designing for restaurants, lifestyle brands, and product companies for over a decade—starting in agencies, then building my own thing when corporate life stopped making sense after having kids.

Creativity has always been the family business. My mom's a fine artist, my dad works in print, and I now run a second business with my mom and sister doing interior design and styling. Which means when a restaurant client needs everything from logo to lighting to the art on the walls—I've genuinely got it covered.

I'm also a Minnesotan through and through—which means I care deeply about this creative community and the businesses that make it interesting. When I'm not working, or chasing my kids down the block I'm cooking something up in the kitchen or slowly and lovingly renovating the old house we've been working on for over 10 years.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME
A black and white graphic with text "Design that feels human, strategic, and authentic."

  • " The work that Design shop did absolutely elevated our business. We have a cohesive strategy that all customers, prospective employees, prospective customers, vendors and current employees feel and see. "

    Scott Whitmore | Whitmore Inc.

  • "We were looking for the next step by having a professional website and Kate gave our business a home! We love having an easier way for customers to find us and order from us! Working with Kate was great! She really brought our brand and website alive. I'm very happy with the work and the finished product."

    Morgan Zaragoza | Morgan’s Broth + Buns

  • " We have worked with Kate on a number of different projects from marketing campaigns to building a brand from the ground up. Branding and marketing content are often the first interaction people have with your business and Kate has created quality, original content for us to use in making a great first impression. "

    Abby Rakun | Northern Hospitality & Co

  • " I really appreciate Kate's expertise, professionalism, ideas and ability to make things happen. She understood what we wanted and made our vision a reality. We are so pleased with the process and outcome. Thank you!!! "

    Rebecca Getz | Minnesota Center for Psychology

  • "I would absolutely recommend DSMPLS to others, without hesitation. The clear and professional process makes a daunting task of rebranding one that is fun and exciting. Timelines were met, deliveries happened on time (or sooner), and just the personality behind the talent makes everything EASY. When you're investing in something you want it to be efficient, but great. DSMPLS is BOTH!"

    Allison McCarthy Carlson | Oak House Group

  • "Working with DSMPLS was exceptional. I had a clear vision for my brand, but couldn't make it look professional on my own. Kate listened attentively and transformed my ideas into something unique and high-quality. For the first time, someone truly understood my vision and brought it to life. My idea stopped being just a sketch in my mind and became a professional brand that truly represents me. I highly recommend Kate."

    Karina Elze | Vivabú Spanish Immersion Child Care Center

  • "Working with Kate transformed our candle company. She designed packaging for over 15 different SKUs, creating a cohesive rebrand that honored the original vision while bringing our new direction to life. Customers can't stop talking about how beautiful our packaging is. Kate delivered way more than expected and understood our vision perfectly."

    Alisha Jensen | Busy Bees Candle Company

  • "We had a strong concept and prototype, but Design Shop MPLS brought our business to life. Kate was responsive, flexible, and provided the creative spark we needed to present our product confidently to retailers and consumers. Highly competent, attentive, and cost-effective."

    Rich Diaz | Highwater Hemp LLC

Recent Work

  • Photograph of The Naughty Doner Co. appetizer plater on branded paper ini a metal tray.

    The Naughty Döner

    BRANDING | PACKAGING | MESSAGING | MARKETING | FOOD TRUCK

    View
  • A woman's hand holding a pink box of Waxing the City Rosé Lips Bakuchiol Lip Balm and Lip Scrub, surrounded by other pink boxes and scattered rose petals on a pink surface.

    Waxing the City

    PACKAGING | ILLUSTRATION

    COMING SOON...
  • Close-up of a Mediterranean dish with chicken, herbs, and sauce in a bowl with a decorative border, overlaid with text that reads 'Spicy feta' and 'Mediterranean with attitude' in a circular pattern.

    Spicy Feta

    BRANDING | ILLUSTRATION | MESSAGING | COLLATERAL | MENU

    view
  • A candle with a flame sitting on a textured surface, with overlaying text about a local bee company in Northern California.

    Busy Bees Candle Co.

    BRANDING | PACKAGING SYSTEM | MARKETING |

    VIEW
  • A white enamel mug with a lime wedge on the rim, sitting on a wooden surface. The mug has the words 'Long Trees Woodfire Grill' and a floral graphic. The background features bokeh lights.

    Longtrees Woodfire Grill

    BRANDING | ILLUSTRATION | COLLATERAL | INTERIOR DESIGN

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  • A bread bun topped with sesame and black seeds on a pastel background, with text overlay promoting Morgan's Broth & Buns and their slogan 'Everything Buns'.

    Morgan's Broth & Buns

    BRANDING | ILLUSTRATION | MESSAGING | MARKETING | WEB

    View
  • Colorful grid of nine squares with cartoon bear faces and the word 'VIVABÚ' in bold, playful font in each square. The background colors vary, including blue, green, red, orange, pink, and purple.

    Vivabú Spanish Immersion Preschool

    BRANDING | ILLUSTRATION | COLLATERAL

    COMING SOON...
  • Four small bottles of Buzzer Shot cannabis tinctures in lemon drop and blue raspberry flavors against a light blue background, with a lemon slice and raspberries floating nearby.

    Buzzer Shot

    PACKAGING | MESSAGING | WEB | MARKETING

    View
  • Laptop displaying the website designed by Design Shop MPLS for a company called Left Lane.

    Left Lane Ventures

    BRANDING | COLLATERAL | WEB

    View
  • A logo for The Aligned Agent Co. with white text on a light green background.

    The Aligned Agent Co.

    BRANDING | COLLATERAL | PRESENTATION DESIGN

    COMING SOON...
  • Decorative sign indicating a restaurant named Ariana Kebab & Gyro Bistro with phrases like 'Small place, big flavor' and 'Where family & flavor meet,' along with various illustrations including herbs, lemon, a lettuce, a skewer, and stylized text about middle eastern flavors.

    Arianas Kebob Gyro Bistro

    BRANDING | ILLUSTRATION | MESSAGING | COLLATERAL

    VIEW
  • The image displays a visually styled web and mobile interface for ReRoot Group, a real estate company. The website features a header with navigation options and a main message about growing roots and wealth through real estate, accompanied by interior house images and a group of clients in discussion.

    Reroot Group

    BRANDING | WEBSITE | COLLATERAL

    Coming soon