Agnes Studio* is a graphic design firm that specializes in strategic, big-picture branding. We aim to create beautiful, engaging, smart design solutions and help clarify a narrative—taking an idea and making it real. 

We build identities that empower our clients and inspire their audiences to act, invest, explore, trust, and love because we aim for meaningful human interaction.

It’s also true that we’ve been known to bring our clients to (happy) tears. We like to connect and collaborate.

So who* is Agnes anyway? As luck would have it, our founders’ mothers share the same name. When the studio needed its own, we named it after them. 

We’ve designed
& directed:

Branding
Identity systems
Logos
Stationery
Books
Magazines
Websites
Email campaigns
Social media
Photoshoots

Wayfinding
Signage
Neon
Murals
Exhibitions
Packaging
Labels
Copywriting
Products
Posters

for:

Non-profits
Parks
Podcasting
Product development
Public art
Retail
Small business
Sole-proprietors
Technology
Theatre
Urban planning

Art Organizations
Cities
Community development
Consultancies
Education
Entrepreneurs
Finance
Food & Beverage
Landscape architecture
Libraries
Media
Museums

Our Process

Since 2009, we have done the same thing, challenged ourselves & our clients to do something thoughtfully different.

1

Listen

Begin with a kick-off meeting, stakeholder survey, and research to better understand the project’s goals, challenges, constraints, considerations, and ambitions.  

2

Conceptualize & Strategize

Formulate and share big-picture ideas (and challenges) discovered in the first step. Identify opportunities for the brand voice and visuals. 

3

Design

Explore, experiment, and create thoughtful solutions that can be seen (visuals) and read (words) to express the project’s intent. 

4

Implement

Refine and finalize the designs. Guide the project into production and implementation to make our work together a tangible reality.

Who we are:


  • CO-FOUNDER

    Danielle Rini Uva (she/her) received a BFA in Graphic Design from Ohio University and also worked as a graphic designer at firms in Chicago and Cleveland. She has taught Graphic Design at the Cleveland Institute of Art and Cleveland State University and has received design awards from AIGA, the American Museum Association, and Ohio University. In 2019, she was selected by MOCA Cleveland as a “Change Agent”—advancing culture in Northeast Ohio. She has served as the Graphic Design Visiting Critic at Ohio University, a juror for CIA’s Student Independent Exhibition, and a presenter to preschoolers, junior high classes, and college students alike.


  • PARTNER

    Katie Parland (she/her) is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art. After receiving her BFA in Communication Design, she worked at Agnes Studio until 2013, when she became the Lead Designer at Counter Culture Coffee in Durham, NC. Katie moved back to Cleveland in 2016 and rejoined Agnes. She was selected as one of Graphic Design USA’s “Students to Watch” in 2010. FastCo Design, Vogue, and Cool Hunting have highlighted her work. Katie has won AIGA awards in the Student and Professional Design categories and has participated in design conferences and collegiate design reviews in the Southeast and Midwest US.


  • DESIGNER

    Annie Crotty (she/her) graduated from Cleveland State University with a BFA in Graphic Design in 2021. While at CSU, she participated in the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) student chapter. Annie’s favorite part of design is branding. She enjoys the problem-solving involved in creating work that can communicate an organization’s goals while maintaining its personality in an engaging, aesthetically pleasing way.

Nice things:

“Katie and Danielle brought our vision to life in the most thoughtful way possible. They’ve been thought leaders in our business, developing our tone, voice, and brand guidelines and shaping our unboxing experience. We love their in-depth understanding of our industry, the research they put into their design process, and the compassionate way they think about our customers. We’ve grown significantly since we first launched, and Agnes has been and will continue to be a major part of our journey. I am so proud of the way our brand has come to life with Agnes.”

— Rachael Classi, Founder & CEO, Tiny Earth Toys

“Explaining ourselves to a thoughtful team of designers and communicators outside our industry was refreshing and energizing. We want to be the household name that people turn to first when they need land, property, and infrastructure information, and Agnes helped us think through that from first principles.”

— Jerry Paffendorf, CEO, Regrid

“We have worked with Agnes for more than a dozen years. Danielle and Katie always bring plenty of artistic talent and creative problem-solving to our projects, and they have a keen sense of what we like and what works with our customers. Not least of all, they are the kindest of people and are purely a pleasure to work with. Our partnership with Agnes has been an important part of our success and our enjoyment of our work.”

— Pete & Mike Mitchell, Owners, Mitchell’s Ice Cream

“The team of designers at Agnes has been extraordinary in creating a brand, aesthetic, and visual identity for Dobama Theatre. We feel so grateful to have such dedicated, talented, and experienced collaborators. They know our organization, listen to our goals, understand our needs, and care deeply about the finished piece they create. The creative process with Agnes Studio is generous and open in an environment where instincts, responses, and support are always offered freely. We couldn't be more thrilled to be a client and partner of Agnes Studio.”

— Nathan Motta, Artistic Director, Dobama Theatre

“The people at Agnes are rigorous in their creative design solutions to the challenges I've worked through with them. Their genuine curiosity leads to their ability to develop concepts that are so smart and elegant you wish you'd thought of them yourself! On top of being wonderful designers, they're warm and inviting people who I've worked with for nearly two decades and who I keep returning to because their process, products, and personalities make them great design partners.”

— Tiffany Graham Charkosky, Director of Arts and Culture, Cleveland Public Library

Woman-Owned Business: Agnes Studio (RUL, Ltd.) has been a 100% female-owned business since its inception in 2009. The corporation is divided between its two partners, Danielle Rini Uva and Katie Parland. 

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: We are a small team. That said, as designers, we recognize that all ideas and people are worth including and that helping people communicate is part of our work. The first step in our process is always listening, which we believe is key to understanding each other in an increasingly divisive culture. We see diversity and inclusion as central to our organization and the successful work we create. As such, we seek employees, partners, and clients from all backgrounds to join us, and we work diligently to respect each individual and community. We encourage everyone to bring their authentic, original, and best selves to every project. A strong respect for each whole person and the pursuit of work-life balance shapes our approach.

Equal Opportunity: Agnes Studio is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. Agnes Studio does not tolerate discrimination and harassment of any type. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Agnes Studio conforms to the spirit and the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.