The Studio

Hiarki is a Minneapolis-based experiential brand design studio shaping how brands show up in spaces.

We partner with architecture firms and aligned clients to translate brand strategy into spatial experiences helping organizations express who they are, what they stand for and where they’re going. Our work lives at the intersection of architecture, brand and experience.

Team work sessions at the Hiarki studio space

Select Clients & Partners

Carlson Company
Mayo Clinic
Mortenson Construction
Post Consumer Brands
RSP Architects
UMN ICD

A stack of grey metal flat-file cabinets at Hiarki's studio space

A close-up of a desk featuring a white ceramic potted plant in the foreground. A spiral notebook with a pen, a smartphone, and yellow sticky notes sit on the dark wood surface.

A view through a doorway of a round wooden meeting table with design papers and a black mesh office chair.

A close-up, shallow-focus shot of a person's hand using a digital stylus pen on a tilted drawing tablet.

A framed black poster with white text that reads "Aspire to make awesome things with cool people" hangs on a white wall beneath an industrial-style light fixture.

Studio photography by Roo Way

Our Story

Designing with purpose

What began as a small, founder-led practice has evolved into a focused studio built to collaborate, challenge assumptions and design with purpose. While our mission has matured, the spirit behind it hasn’t changed.

Today, Hiarki operates beyond the traditional boundaries of a design studio. We bring strategic thinking to brand expression, working alongside architects, developers and organizations to ensure that physical spaces don’t just function, but communicate.

Our Design Principles

Built to collaborate

Hiarki is shaped by the people we’ve worked alongside who inspire us to push boundaries and create with purpose. Our studio’s strength comes from these relationships, fueling a culture of openness, respect and shared creativity.

This commitment to collaboration is at the heart of everything we believe:

Strategy leads: Great design starts with clarity. We believe strategy isn’t a phase, but rather the foundation that gives every decision meaning.
Brands should be felt, not just seen: Logos and guidelines are only the beginning. The most powerful brands are experienced through space, behavior and narrative.
Collaboration makes better work: We do our best work alongside architects, consultants and clients who value shared ownership and mutual respect.
Imagination is non-negotiable: Authenticity can’t be manufactured. We prioritize curiosity, experimentation and creative bravery in everything we do.
Design has responsibility: We believe in designing with intention for people, places and the future we’re all stepping into.

Working With Hiarki

Your partners in design

Working with Hiarki means partnering with a small, senior-led team that integrates seamlessly into your project. We work alongside architects, consultants and client stakeholders, and we understand the realities of complex schedules, evolving scopes and layered decision-making.

We show up early, ask the right questions and stay closely involved through design development and execution. Our role is to support the broader team and help translate intent, clarify systems and carry ideas through without adding unnecessary friction.

A senior-led practice

Hiarki is led by founder Doug Forbes, who stays hands-on across every engagement. For each project, we build the right team from a trusted network of collaborators and specialists: designers, developers, architectural advisors and production partners we’ve worked with for years.

You work directly with senior people, on a team shaped to fit the demands of the work in front of us.

Doug Fobes
Founder & CEO, Hiarki Design Co.
AIA Allied, SEGD

Words From the Founder

Everything I’ve built is rooted in collaboration and mentorship. The people who believed in me shaped my path, and their generosity continues to inspire how I work and who I try to support.

– Doug Forbes, Founder, CEO