Welcome to Dani Kates Designs, I’m Dani!

I’m a New York-based illustrator and designer, and after years of conceptualizing and creating artwork for popular brands such as Nestle, Tootsie Roll, Girl Scouts and It'Sugar, (to name a few) and illustrating over 40 coloring books, I wanted a new creative endeavor. In particular, I wanted to find a way to combine my artistic talents with my playful and somewhat silly nature, not to mention my passion for game night.

My business began pretty organically. I simply made a custom board game for my boyfriend as a gift, and suddenly everyone that saw it wanted one! This led me to create a listing in my Etsy shop and I got so many orders that it soon became my full-time business. Before I knew it, I was even attracting a few celebrity clients, such as Christina Aguilera, a major TV host and a legendary ball player.

Every board game I design is completely customized for the client from start to finish, with a tenacious attention to detail (we illustrators are like that!). From the personalization of the board, box and cards to the creativity of the ideas and the high-end hand drawings, my goal is to create a game that truly captures what is special and meaningful to you.

I make the process very simple and fun, sending you drafts and updates through each stage of the process, and nothing is printed without your approval. The finished product is professionally manufactured and packaged, just like a real board game, and I have scaled my business to be able to do everything from a single game to quantities of 10,000 or more!

While these boards take hours to design and create, the joy they bring customers when they give it as a gift is so worth it! These are more than just games, they tell your personal story. They are keepsakes and future heirlooms that truly capture the essence of a person or family, so it is really fun for me when I get requests such as kids creating one for their parent’s anniversary of all of their favorite family vacations. I know I’m creating something special that will get passed down from generation to generation.

Businesses also love my custom game boards as gifts for their clients and employees. From realtors and investment brokers who want to highlight the year’s biggest property sales to travel agencies who want to use it as a marketing tool to showcase their favorite destinations to prospective customers – even influencers creating a game for their fans. The possibilities are endless!

That’s the great thing about my business; it’s completely customer-driven. I can create any kind of game board, card game or other personalized gift idea or marketing tool. You just send me the idea and the collaboration begins!

Thanks so much for visiting and I look forward to creating something amazing just for you!

Dani