How it works.
What does good design and consistent communications mean to our clients? They connect better with their audiences. They eliminate wasted resources and missed opportunities. By aligning their brand message with their core values and mission, our clients move forward with confidence to achieve marketing goals.
Our culture works well with small to mid-sized companies and non-profits who value a great working relationship and know they need stronger design and better communications. For over 20 years, we’ve had the pleasure of – and commitment to – helping them articulate and visualize their stories in a fresh and genuine way. Clients work directly with the owners/creatives – that’s us, Susan and Karl – and with a broad base of adjunct resources who
we hand pick to fit the given needs.
45 Degrees has one office in the Lyn-Lake area of Minneapolis, which just happens to lie on the 45th parallel.
Thanks for visiting. We look forward to hearing from you.
Susan Hopp and Karl Schweikart, Partners
Susan Hopp, Partner
Susan was an independent designer throughout the 80s and 90s. Then, in 1997, she and Karl Schweikart created 45 Degrees/Minneapolis.
Susan is the big mucky muck for that all-important project management, and for developing project strategy and big picture creative concepts. It’s hard to argue with the insight and wisdom gained from her twenty-five years of conceptual design experience. It sure helped define the processes at 45 Degrees. Always the nitpicker, count on Susan to ask the “What if?” questions. She’ll push the creative until it earns her intuitive approval.
Karl Schweikart, Partner
In 1988, after cutting his teeth at design firms in his home state of Michigan, Karl moved westward along the 45th parallel to work in the well-respected Minneapolis design community. He ran his own successful design firm for nine years before forming the partnership with Susan in 1997.
Karl takes care of project design and execution. He’s the office tech-head. A challenging brand identity project gets him the most excited. Twenty five years of brand design consulting will do that to a person. Using a proven process, Karl can find the way to reveal an organization’s unique brand identity in a compelling way that just makes you smile.
He has served two extended terms on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA Minnesota).
Very Partial Client List
AIGA Minnesota
Creatis, Inc.
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Jane Wolf, Realtor
John Deere, & Company
Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren, Attorneys
Medtronic, Inc.
Minneapolis Heart Institute and Foundation
Minneapolis Public Library
Minnesota Children’s Museum
Moores Insurance Management, Inc.
Peoples Bank of Commerce, Cambridge
Pisa Design, Inc.
Saint Paul Public Library
Schafer Richardson
The Rose Ensemble
Target Corporation
Wallace Carlson Printing
Case Studies
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Peoples Bank of Commerce
Saint Paul Public Library
Pisa Design
Minneapolis Public Library
susan@45dm.com | karl@45dm.com
45 Degrees/Minneapolis
2836 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 180
Minneapolis, Minnesota | 55408
t 612.349.3790 | f 612.349.3899
www.45dm.com