Kate Dembowski

The Affordable Art of a Homemade Latte is a dynamically informative video on how to make a delicious latte at home. Making my coffee with a moka pot is a uniquely important part of my morning routine. A moka pot is an Italian, instant espresso machine that’s used on a stovetop. Moka pots also have unique, stackable pieces that allow the coffee to brew upwards and be poured out of the top. Recently, I’ve learned to appreciate the moka pot’s distinct forms, features, and brewing process. My video’s balance between informational dialogue, condensed typography, and down-to-earth atmosphere create an engaging, coffee-based experience.

#THATSONWINNING is a bold and dynamic campaign that empowers girls who play sports to defy gender stereotypes and feel confident in every game. I had the pleasure of collaborating with Madeline Beattie, Lauren Moore, and Natalie Orlando to create and design our brand while being in the spirit of the Detroit Lions.

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Lauren Mehl to create an engaging campaign for first-time voters. Following the subtle visual guides of the #WHYVOTE contest, Lauren and I worked closely over a timeframe of 3 weeks to create a nonpartisan campaign aimed at those in the trades industries. Our campaign won second place in the competition.

Skeet’s Adventures is a series of fun, witty, and sarcastic handmade goods centered around a playful mosquito named Skeet. I created Skeet and applied his character to a variety of handmade greeting cards, stickers, and tote bags. Skeet and his collection are bold, flashy, and intentional. Each greeting card is hand-printed using a risograph printer and a wood type press. The bold and contrasting risograph inks also created a subtle sense of texture during the printing process. I had the pleasure of being able to print handmade card labels at the Detroit Wood Type Company, where I thoroughly enjoyed learning the methods and processes of printing with wood type. To create the tote bags, I used a dye sublimation process that ensured my color choices would stay true to their hues.

Finally Using Life’s Lemons (FULL) is an uplifting branding identity design that redefines the traditional perception of a midlife crisis by transforming it into a “midlife opportunity.” I had the pleasure of collaborating with Chelsea Rogers to create this zesty and optimistic brand identity. Our eye-catching visual choices help further the essence of our brand. Using bright colors, a friendly typeface, and a series of abstracted lemon icons, FULL is light-hearted, optimistic, and embracing of life’s unpredictable changes. We created a series of products and brand applications to further apply FULL’s principles. These include a FULL website, social media, signage, clothing, and even a lemonade pitcher set. Our cohesive set of assets captures the fullness of life while allowing those in a midlife crisis to embrace the change with open arms.

I created an engaging poster for the 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Brown Trout Festival. Hosted every July in Alpena, Michigan, this unique fishing festival is filled with fishing raffles, games, music, food, and family events. Growing up, I have attended the festival during my visits to my family’s cabin, located in the nearby village of Hubbard Lake. Through my personal connections to this event, I strived to create a dynamic poster that honors the patience and excitement of fishing in Northern MI.