79 minutes w/ vincent hammingh

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Could you briefly introduce yourself?

I am Vincent.

24 years old.

(more?)

That’s it I guess.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

Well my practical assignment and thesis were going really fast, really straight forward. Only with my research project it was a bumpy road. I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to go with this project, but eventually I got back to one of my first ideas.

Could you tell us a little more about you research project?

The project is about internet media taking more and more place into our daily lives. So I’ve made an installation of a supermarket (which I visit daily) where the packs are reacting on my online behaviour, as if you are walking around in this supermarket wearing an Oculus Rift or the Google Glass.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently? where or from who did you get your inspiration?

Well I noticed that I’m spending a lot of time online and on Facebook I saw a lot of articles on blogs I’m following about the Oculus Rift and articles about Facebook being these kinds of technologies and apps to keep track of us.. I guess..And of course a lot of talking with teachers and other people. I think the last one is maybe the most important one.

Does this project, to you, feel as like it’s your ‘Mona Lisa’ of all of your work so far?

More like a sketch for a Mona Lisa. I can explore many more roads of this project and that’s what I like about it.

Could you tell us a little about your thesis?

My thesis is about the issues of copyright in art and design, and how we could use this as subject of our work. I’m writing about the issues but also about solutions like crowdsourcing and open source.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the subject of the research assignment?

I think so. Most of the issues of copyright are because of the internet culture. Copyright was made for printing books and publicing in a physical environment, it doesn’t work that well in a digital environment. So it’s also about the combination of physical culture and internet culture.

How would you like this project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

Well in order to show the effect of packaging that can be projected with different content, I made a monitor that you can slide from left to right and back in front of a physical shelf with products. On this monitor I can project anything I want on those products/packaging. But there are many more things that I can do with this moving monitor and I really like to explore this furter in the future, could be visuals or whole streets projected with different content.

 

 

onto Another subject: where did you do your internship?

I did my internship at Machine in Amsterdam. They design a lot for the music business. Record sleeves, festival promotion.

so, In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you, or your (design)beliefs or (work)habits?

Well I did a lot of animation work at their studio. And I was always convinced that as a graphic designer you should be busy with printed matter as much as you can. But a lot of graphic design will move to the screen, apps and websites getting more popular, so it could be a good thing I learned a lot about animation and design for digital media.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

YES! hahaha!

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

I did my practical assignment together with Maartje de Goede. Our client was IABR in Rotterdam. We were asked to design the report they wrote on a concept called Carbon Added Taks Tax.

The collaboration went really well, we are two really different kind of designers. The choices we individually usually make on design and concept came together perfectly and this has brought us to a place where we never would have ended up without each other. Very interesting experience.

What will you be doing in 5 years from now?

Pfhiew difficult one. Whatever the fuck I want I guess.

Any advice or tips for upcoming or new students?

Eehhmmm… Well maybe something that was written on the wall at my internship; BECOME WHAT YOU ARE.

58 minutes w/ karlijn rasing

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Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi, my name is Karlijn Rasing and I recently graduated in graphic design at ArtEZ in Arnhem and I hope to become very busy with my own graphic design studio which I am starting right now.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

Challenging, and in the end it gave a lot of satisfaction, especially when i finally saw the end result before me.

Could you tell us about your research project?

I designed a book in which I described the apple by the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. By describing the senses and characteristics of an apple – on which the consumer bases his opinion / taste – and then to reconstruct en represent that in a book, you get aware of that the apple is reconstructed by influence of the consumers.

My book consists of different parts where you can experience the senses one by one, by example an eatable chapter of the book where I used eatable apple ink and paper.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently?

I was very inspired by the project ‘Pig 05049’ by Christien Meindertsma in which she researched all the products made from one single pig.

Does your graduation, to you, feel as like it’s your Mona Lisa of work so far?

No, it feels more like the very beginning of a larger project with food–related subjects.

Could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

It’s about the designer as an activist.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the research assignment?if yes, in what way?

It absolutely has. I love the combination of graphic design & social issues. Researching different designers and artists for writing the thesis inspired me a lot.

To what sense would you like this project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

I hope to keep designing social inspired work because I get the most fun and satisfaction out of it.

Where did you do your internship?

At Studio Duel in The Hague

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you of your (design)beliefs or (work)habits?

The guys of Studio Duel are both very social– and environmentally involved and take that with them in there design process. They showed me that you can combine that attitude with more commercial work.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Haha, yes! The organic ones.

Five years from now, you’ll be doing what?

Design, design, design..

Any tips for upcoming graduate students?

I don’t have any tips because you have to make all the famous mistakes for yourself and be happy about the experience you get in the end.

73 minutes w/ rianne hulshof

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Hi, could you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi! Yeah, sure. I’m Rianne, 24 years old and I live in Velp. In my sparetime I like all things an art academy like ArtEZ hates.

So Rianne, how is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

Maybe it’s kind of cliche to say it like this, but it’s pretty much the best time of the entire education. It’s nice to finally do something I want to do and research instead of finding a way in an assignment a teacher gives you.

Would you tell us about your research project?

My research project is about the North Pacific Garbage Patch, which is an area in the Pacific Ocean where all the plastic in the world ends up and defragments into smaller and smaller particles. The media often describe the Garbage Patch as a ‘soup’ or an island and that’s what got me. Of course it isn’t really an island as such, but what if it was? So out of an entire ocean of reports I picked the most reliable information and created a scenario of circumstances out of it, under which I designed an island. That island is —due to wind and sea currents— floating to the Economic Zone of Hawaii, where, after crossing that border, the plastic becomes America’s problem. Of course America doesn’t want the plastic, because it’s expensive to clean, etc and not all of it is coming from America. Then I found an article about a Dutch company who developed a machine that can produce oil out of plastic. And that’s really interesting, because that would mean that the plastic isle would become some sort of floating oil field.

What where some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently?

I studied a lot of nautical charts and a book called ‘The Pocket Atlas of Remote Islands’.

Other books that inspired me where ‘Hyperobjects’ and ‘Moby Duck’. And what also really helped me was talking to as many people as possible, varying from teachers and classmates to my family and friends.

Does your graduation, to you, feel as like it’s your Mona Lisa of work so far?

Haha, ehm, well I haven’t thought of it like that, but yeah in some way it does.

Well, let’s move over to another project. Could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

The subject of my thesis is collective authorship and the way your role as author, either as a designer or an artist, shifts when you let your audience participate in your work.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the research assignment? If yes, in what way?

No not at all. I think the projects couldn’t be more different.

To what sense would you like your this project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

Well, I would like to specialize more in making maps and continue researching the subject
of my thesis.

Another subject: Where did you do your internship?

My internship was at Atelier van Wageningen and their typefoundry Novo Typo in Amsterdam.

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you, or, your (design) beliefs or (work)habits?

I learned to not be afraid to stay closer to myself.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Hahahaha, no.

But Mark did offer to serve avocado though, because he didn’t want me to miss out on my classmates.

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assigment for the practical assignment?

My partner for the practical assignment is Dominiek Kampman, our client was the IABR (International Architecture Biennial Rotterdam) and we had to design a publication on Carbon Added Tax.

Carbon Added Tax is an interesting subject and I have some sort of scientific background, so I enjoyed combining ‘science’ with graphic design.

What will you be doing in 5 years from now?

Work as a graphic designer, I hope.

Ok. Last question: Any tips for upcoming graduate, or new students?

Pick a subject that’s close to yourself, because you’ll get a lot of comments from a lot of people and then you still have to stay enthusiastic about your project. Train yourself to stay awake all night, haha!

328 minutes w/ corine van der wal

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Could you briefly introduce yourself?

So i’am Corine 26, working at te moment in a coffee bar, where there is often also exhibitions. I omschrijf myself a little bit perfectionist, like to work with printed matter and have a passion for my plants. Maybe you should leave the last this out. Before i started graphic design in Arnhem i did a more practical study in photography 4 year. After that i did the pre–study on ArtEZ and started to know graphic design. During the last four year, i got interested in typography, and specially in the detail, micro–typography. I love to work for hours in a indesign book file and zink in the details of all the glyph. I find it really interesting to find a way to make traditional book design modern.

How are you liking graduation so far?

That’s a tricky question, because i got orange whit the frist green light presentation, and i did not see that coming. But i will be honest. The way i am working the last four months are great, i have so much fun, i think it is because the past three year you get a assignment, so there is already a topic for your project, and you have to switch every day to another assignment, almost 6 times a week. And after three years you can develop your own topic. The way you working constantly on one project, works really good, i like it. It almost feels like a real job.

Maybe now would be a good time to introduce your research project?

‘2nd seven year plan program of iran’. It starts with a personal archive from my grandfather. My grandparents moved for 7 years to Teheran (Persia). It was the era of the Sjah at that time (1956–1962). During that time my grandfather kept an amazing archive with photo dia’s, letters, maps, etc. At the end of the 2nd year of mine study i was already thinking to use this archive for my graduation project. I only had to find a way to make not only interesting for me and mine family but also for more people. It was hard to find more information about this period in Persia, that is because it was for the revolution, so i had not so many background information. Will i was going through the photo’s, more then 2000, there was one photo of a road sign. (the one i gave you) that says “PLAN ORGANISATION OF IRAN, WORK ON 2ND SEVEN YEAR PLAN, PLAN ORGANISATION PROJECT”. I found out that there was a book about the project, after help from the openbare bibliotheek, the found one edition in the university library in Rotterdam and the got it for me. Then i found out that these seven year plan where exactly the same years that mine grandparent lives in Tehran. And while i was reading the text there was a lot similarity with the archive of mine grandfather. So the reason the moved to Tehran was that mine grandfather worked on the development of the infrastructure. So plan is to re–publish the book, but also tell a story of a western family by using the archive.

What were some important references during your research project?

http://www.titreprovisoire.de/arbeiten/unfinished–business.html. This is a really important inspiration. There was this problem in the beginning that the project became to personal. So i found this project, and what the did, the made a movie with personal data of people of Germany who also lived and worked in Iran. But the used these data to tell the story how Germany worked on nuclear program in Iran. This was the solution for me, i had to find a another story for the personal archive than the family story. And then i found the book.

 

 

Does this project also feel like it’s your mona lisa of work so far?

No. I made in the third year a book about hacked passwords of Yahoo and transferred into a medical plants encyclopaedia. I found it interesting how you can make actually boring data in something news

Could you maybe talk a little on the topic of your thesis?

I love printed matter. Now we are living in a digital revolution. newspapers are slowly disappearing, and most of the novel you can read on a device. My question was, how printed matter changed in design trough the digitalisation.

Did writing your thesis in any way influence the way you think about design?

Ofcourse, in my thesis i am trying to explain how important is, not only for our history, but also the way how people read. Designing a text for a printed book, get must more attention the for a digital design. But because people read more en more digital i found it really interesting to see also how design of text changed trough digital media.

Would you like to continue working like you did now, in the future?

Yes, maybe in the way of thinking about digital design, to improve it. But also working with printed matter, how you have to think in practice, how you have to design in a way that people will read it.

Where did you do your internship, and could you introduce the studio?

at e o t Berlin (essays on typograhic), a small studio founded by Lilla Hinrichs and Anna Sartorius. They are primarily concerned with book and exhibition design and collaborate with museums, publishers, curators, artists, authors and scientists.

Could you tell me a little how this experience of doing an internship in your case abroad changed the way you view design?

So there they are working a lot with book typography, which is good for me. The German have so many more rules in typography the we dutch designers, so i learned a lot. also the printing part, like how you have to manage your PMS colours for the off set printer. Also the way how the develop a concept, and sketch, it takes time to work with clients and try to convince them with your design, because some of these people don’t have a idea about design. It is really different then how it works at the academy.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

No. Keine Advocado. Most of the time we had patatos for lunch, germans.

So, tell me about your practical assignment?

Yes the practical assignment, me and suzanne are working on a system how you can publish in a digital environment. Valiz is a publishing house based in Amsterdam. The are doing already research on digital publishing trough ePub. Know had to task to also think and develop a digital distribution method for the ‘Antennae serie’ books. After the research on distribution method we are designing the books for a digital platform.

Five years from now you’ll be doing what?

maybe the plan is to work at the TAPE and meanwhile starting a own studio. But i also want to start a little shop, where you can buy, advocate trees and cacti. maybe sell small publications, and meanwhile have a desk in the shop to work.

I just hope to have my own studio, but it would be also great to work for a bigger graphic design studio. I am hoping that i get to know people from different disciplines so we can help each other.

Do you have any tips, or strokes of wisdom for upcoming graduate students?

Stick with your own in interests, do not try to make develop something you don’t know the technical specifications of.

101 minutes w/ britte hietkamp

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Could you introduce yourself?

My name is Britte Hietkamp, 23 years old and one of the students of Graphic Design who will graduate. (Of course otherwise you wouldn’t ask me)

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

Euhm.. Like a roller coaster, it’s going fast, it has his ups and downs. But is nice to work on your own project with all it’s freedom. And it’s nice to work within a group of students who are very supportive. There is no competitive feeling to each other, everyone is wiling to help an other. It’s doing good to work in such a nice atmosphere.

Could you tell a little about your research project?

My project is about ‘the convertibility(?) of people, especially of an individual. I started my research with my profile. Four years a go I left my home, Leek (Groningen) and moved to Arnhem. I went back after those years and searched for the people who took over my routines. For example; Dieuwertje Bijnagte and Enrico Wardenier were hired to take over my hours at the restaurant where I worked. Another example; My little brother moved to my room. In total I found sixteen people – I call them the ‘identities’ – who filled a piece of me. Those identities together are a representation of the profile… how, not ready yet.

Those identities together are a representation of the profile, the personage. So; Profile= Identities= Personage. What will be shown at the exhibit is the search to the identity of the personage. For this I used a database which I made of facial parts from the identities. With my database you can make over millions different ‘new’ people. But imagine that when you have a little bigger database you could make every person in the world, with relative smalla database.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently? Any particular designers or artworks or books or anything that you consider inspiration for this project?

Hans op de Beeck was a big inspiration for me. Especially the artwork ‘Staging Silence (2)’. Actually, the introduction text of his show besides his work was a starting point for my project.

What do we create to provide ourselves an identity and to make ourselves comfortable? How do we cope in a world that is increasingly difficult to understand and in which a human being seems to be replaceable?

Does this project, to you, feel as like it’s your ‘Mona Lisa’ of all of your work so far?

haha, maybe it does.

Could you briefly inform me on the subject of your thesis?

My thesis is about how individual authorship is making collective authorship within (graphic design) studio’s and (graphic design) collectives.

Has the subject of your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on subject of the research assignment? Or are they not related at all?

It wasn’t my starting point but in a certain way it’s very related. It’s both about making one identity from individuals.

 

To what sense would you like your research project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

After graduating I still want to explore the little stories and invisible phenomenons within my free work. And I also want to use and explore a lot of different mediums, materials and technics

Where did you do your internship?

I did my internship at Kossmann.deJong in Amsterdam. It’s a big office and they call themselves exhibition architects. Their clients are mostly museums like the ‘Gemeente Museum Den Haag’ but they also work for Schiphol (they do the interior design) and the biggest project they worked on during my internship was the for the National Military Museum’. Most of those projects have a duration of multiple years.

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you of your (design)beliefs or (work)habits?

Ehm.. I am more organized and structured now but the most important thing I learned is to stand up for my own opinion and beliefs. The beliefs itself didn’t change.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Haha, yes they did… and now I’m addicted to it. They’re at it’s best when they are a little bit smooth on freshly baked brown bread with a fried egg on top.

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

Together with Joëlle Terlouw I designed a catalogus of the archive of announcement posters for the exhibition from the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. We used 700 posters and came up with a structure to use two ways of navigation (date and alphabetical). When you read the book on a normal way you’re following the navigation ordered on date. The alphabetical posters are turned 90*, so when you turn the book you can follow this way of navigation. The outcome of this structure is that when you’re looking for a poster of let’s say Wim Crouwel, you can be surprised with a poster next to Wim Crouwel from a total different designer of another year. So the reader can explore, but the book also functioned as a good research book because you can choose the context of a poster by choosing the navigation. The three indexes are very useful to navigate, look things up, but als give you a nice overview of the amount of posters. The collaboration with Joëlle couldn’t be better and I am very proud of the result.

What will you be doing in 5 years from now?

Well.. I hope to do a combination of challenging design projects and teaching/give workshops to teenagers and children. But first I want to explore myself more as a Graphic Designer by a nice studio.

Any tips for upcoming graduate students? or for new students?

Be true to yourself and explore!

53 minutes w/ jill plaschek

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Could you introduce yourself?

I am Jill Plaschek, 24 years old and living in Arnhem.

How is the whole graduation thing doing it for you?

Sometimes it’s very stressful, I have the constant feeling that everything has to be perfect and my life is over if I’m not graduating.

Could you tell me a little about your research project?

It is about the ‘forgotten’ image collection I collected on my computer. Over the last four years I saved all these images which I really liked and loved but were hidden in my downloads folder, waiting to be forgotten. With this project I am researching different ways to make this collection analogue and make the mass of it visible. Other terms like printing and material research are becoming a new part of my project that way. My goal is to make an installation combining all the images from the collection and beaming my ‘save image to downloads’ behavior.

What was the urgency for you to start this project?

Bring back the love for printing! And to share all the images with others.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently?

I received a link* from somebody with work from Sulki & Min, they created a kind off office environment with a database which I really liked. That part of making a theatrical setting is really cool I think and something I strive for. Besides that, just everyday situations like everyone collection and browsing and saving and all that, without making things analogue is something that inspired me. Collecting digital images is like collecting air, it’s data, it’s nothing unless you print it.

Check it out: http://www.sulki–min.com/wp/?p=104

Does this project, to you, feel as like it’s your ‘Mona Lisa’ of your work so far?

I t try not to look at it that way, but after all, this is what I worked for basically for four years so it has to be good. And satisfying.

Could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

It is about multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity and the differences between them.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the subject for your research assignment? Or are the subjects not related?

Yeah I think so. Graphic design is something that had my interest but there were so many other things that I liked or felt passionate about that’s why I started collecting the images, to get inspired by photography, architecture or fashion. From all these other interests comes the urge to explore multi and interdisciplinarity.

To what sense would you like this project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

The interest for different categories I used to arrange the collection (different disciplines maybe) is something that I would like to work with in the future. I have no clue in what way but I now that graphic design isn’t enough for me. And I’m not saying that graphic design alone is not embracing enough, but I want to explore so many other things.

Could you inform me on your client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

I worked for MAISON the FAUX. A fashion label consisting of Hans Hutting and Joris Suk (and many other partners) who graduated in 2013 from the fashion department at ArtEZ. I created a logo for them last summer and I thought it would be nice to expand that and design the whole visual identity for them. Really nice experience and something I would like to do in the future as well.

Five years from now, you’ll be doing what?

Working as an online editor for a fashion magazine (or just taking Anna Wintour’s Starbucks order) working together with other young creatives, working for an online platform (or having my own), curating, photographing, having my own gallery/bar/cafe where I sell design. Just creating. Something like that. I don’t know. The world is mine and it scares the sh*t out of me.

Any tips for upcoming graduate students? of for new students?

Put things in perspective.

63 minutes w/ dominiek kampman

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Could you introduce yourself?

I am Dominiek Kampman, 22 years old, I live in Arnhem. After de HAVO I immediately started Graphic Design in Arnhem.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

I like it very much that I was able to make my own planning and therefore I was able to plan the talks whenever I was ready for it. That meant that one week I was experimenting and the other week I was talking about the work I had done the before with the teachers.

Could you tell us something about your research project?

My research started from a fascination for numbers and figures. It might sound a little vague, but I count things, not compulsive though. From this fascination arose a research to classification systems/planning systems/taxonomies. One of those classification systems which particularly fascinates me is the Dewey Decimal System, a system which is used by about 200,000 libraries in over 135 countries. According to the system, all the knowledge can be divided into the numbers 000 and 999. Every numher has it’s own design. Another classification system is the ISBN–number system, in which every book has it’s own registration number. This system consists of 13 figures which are divided into 5 elemnts. You could say that this system is more based on the external of a book. With reference to these two planning systems I have developed a designmethod which can be used to design books/bookcovers.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently?

The book ‘The Library of Babel’ by Jorge Luis Borges has been very important to me, a lot of seign choices were made based on this book. Also, the article ‘Anti–Encyclopedia: Fom Poetic Disorder to Political Anti–order (and back again) from Metropolis M. And I found a lot of inspiration in the works of Sol Lewitt, George Widener, On Kawara, Hanne Darboven and Channa Horwitz as they all seem to have the seem fascinatin for systematics, but also an obsession for numbers/figures.

Does your research project, to you, feel as like it’s your Mona Lisa of your work so far?

There are always some projects which you are more content about than others, this is certainly one of the porjects which I have had a lot of fun with while doing it and in which I could totally do my own thing. I hope that my Mona Lisa of my work is yet to be made or could be further developed in the future! I don’t feel like I’m already done with this project, so to say, and once you experience making your Mona Lisa, I think that project should be outdone.

Could you tell us something about your thesis?

The title of my thesis is ‘Between Provocation and Engagement’. In three chapters; the scandal artist, the discussion designer and the political activist, I discuss different types of artists and I determine the dividing line between these concepts.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the subject of the research assignment?

Not, the projects are not connected at all.

To what sense would you like your project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

I work very systematically (which comes forward in my research project). I want to continue to use rules or methods to come to a certain design. Besides that, I hope to continue to have fun in designing, this is probably my biggest incentive I think.

Where did you do your internship?

Mainstudio in Amsterdam. I liked it very much that you can finally practice what you’ve been taught over the last years. And I feel like ArtEZ has prepared us well for that. Mainstudio works in several design disciplines. For instance, I have worked on an architectural book, a publication for an artist, but also on an identity for a fashion designer. Edwin van Gelder (my attendant) has done a lot of book designs, which he has taught me a lot about.

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you of your (design) beliefs or (work)habits?

It taught me to talk more about your designs during the process. At school I was very much focust which caused me to stall sometimes. While talking about it with others you get new ideas or views which is a faster working method. You learn from someone elske and the way someone else looks at your work.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Oh yes they did! Yummy!

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

I got the assignment to design a publication with the content that the IABR gave us. I worked on it together with Rianne Hulshof. We had barely talked to each other before we got to work on this but I think the collaboration went really well actually.

5 years from now, you’ll be doing what?

Hopefully I will have completed a master, and for the rest of that; all the options are open.

Any tips or advice for upcoming graduate or new students?

Have fun, plan well, get some sleep, stand behind your work.

106 minutes w/ thomas michaël van der lee

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Could you introduce yourself?

My name is Thomas Michaël van der Lee. I’m 25 years old. I’m a graphic designer now.

Well, at least I have my certificate.

Its been a while, but how did you experience the whole ‘GDA graduation’ thing?

At the start you have to come up with a good subject. There isn’t any assignment so the opportunities are endless. I’ve tried many different subjects for my graduation project, it was not immediately going well… It made me feel a bit desperate at some point, but when I finally found my subject I did the project in just a few weeks. When you have a good idea, it will make you confident, and than you can work very hard.

Could you tell me a little bit about your research project?

It started with a very large collection of photo’s, about 3000 pieces, all made by my grandfather on all his travells he did after his retirement. He traveled for about 20 years, to France, Jordan, South Africa and many more other places. I’ve got the photos after he died and it was a strange collection, because all the portraits were taken out by my family. They thought they had to keep the family pictures and all the other pictures, like buildings and nature, were not interesting to store. But I couldn’t throw them away.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently? Did you take any inspiration out of certain designers or artworks?

Most of the decisions I’ve made, where inspired by my grandfather. I didn’t wanted to make it too personal, but I have made some decisions that have a clear connection to my grandfather. For example, there are a lot of ways to presents the photos, but I choose to make a book. My grandfather had his own book store and printing office. He actually was a bookmaker too.

Does this project, to you, feel as like it’s the ‘Mona Lisa’ of all of your work so far?

I’m very happy with the result. But is Mona Lisa the best of Leonardo da Vinci? I think it is a bit overrated…

Could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

My thesis is about colors. I talk about colors in public space. About what we know about colors and also how colors are used by artists and designers. For me color is very interesting, and very mysterious too. That’s what I lika about it. We give them some names, but it is very difficult to describe a color. What is the difference between red and green, for example?

Did the subject of your thesis had an influence on deciding on the subject of your research assignment? or are they not connected at all?

They are not really connected, no.

How would you like your research project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

For the research project I did a lot of work by myself. All the pages are cut out by hand and I also printed everything at home. It is really a hand made book and that’s also very visible. That’s what makes it special and I certainly want to keep that hand made aspect in my work. If possible…

Where did you do your internship?

I did an internship at EGBG, the studio of Martijn Engelbregt.

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you of your (design)beliefs or (work)habits?

Martijn works very independently. He is doing his own projects or he is trying at least to have a lot of space for his ideas when he is asked by someone else to do a project. One of the things I’ve learned, is that if you have an idea or you want to do something, you just have to go for it. Just give it a try. Sometimes an idea have not the results you were expecting, but sometimes it ends up with a very cool project.

Did they serve avocado during lunch? :)

Yes! …from the organic shop!

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

I was asked to design a new stamp for PostNL. It had to be a new design for the ‘zakenzegel’. This meant it should become an interesting, but kind of neutral stamp for use by companies. The shapes I used in the design are based on the shape of an envelop.

Five years from now, you’ll be doing what?

Five years, I actually never look that far ahead. For now I have some ideas to make an other book, this time I have a collection of thousands of postcards from France. And… I think I’m going to register at KvK, and try to find some things I can do to earn some money. Then focus on my own projects and just see how far I can get.

Any tips for upcoming graduate students? Or for new students?

Never trust no teachers. (But of course try to learn from them!)

207 minutes w/ maartje de goede

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Hi! Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi! I’m Maartje, I’m 21 and live in Utrecht. I think you can call me a graphic designer even though
I still don’t know what that means. Through my work I try to make the world a nicer place.

So Maartje, how is the whole ‘graduation experience’ doing it
for you?

It’s less stressful than expected! I haven’t even done an allnighter yet and only had the occasional ‘oh my god, what will i do with my future!’–panic attack. It’s fun. And I really like the free printer in our own classroom. Also the plant.

Would you tell us about your research project?

I’ve researched the impacts that our society would suffer if we’d go from being a welfare state to
a participation society, as our current government would like. As a response to the things that would deteriorate, I’ve come up with inventions. They’re products that help people participate in society, Dutch citizens can build them themselves with the manuals I produced. The collection of inventions is shown on a website* and will keep growing with suggestion that people can submit themselves. During the graduation expo I’ll show all the products that have been invented till then.

*departicipatiepraktijk.nl

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently?

I think ArtEZ itself was a big influence. I have never really found my way in graphic design… aaand… the school has shown me that as well. I’m not just that into typography and ‘contemporary design culture’. I’d decided I wanted to make something fun and I didn’t think school was fun last year, so I took a big leap and made my most non–graphic design project ever and that really worked. It’s what I want to do. My internship** has been another big influence, over there I learned how to make art projects real and get the public to participate in them.

** Circus Engelbregt

Does your graduation, to you, feel as like it’s your ‘Mona Lisa’ of work so far?

Nope, very much not the Mona Lisa in terms of aesthetics. It is my most real and accesible work so far though, and since that’s what I aspire I guess you could say it feels like my best project.

Ok, well let’s go to another topic. Could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

I could! My thesis is about aesthetics in grapheme synesthesia–visualisation, which probably makes most people none the wiser. Grapheme–synesthesia is a condition which I have that makes people read in colour: all digits are connected to a specific colour in the mind of a synesthete. For example, in my mind I see the letter A as a forest green, and the number 3 as orange.

This has helped me a lot with learning languages and could help people that have trouble with reading and learning languages, because it adds another factor to help remember words. People have tried to visualise this experience in both science and art for ages, but it’s never exactly right. In my thesis I look for a way to visualise this form of synesthesia on the border of art and science. The thesis is a source book for typographers who wish to make a coloured typeface that can visualise synesthesia and in that way help people with readingproblems.

So yeah, it has absolutely nothing to do with my research project.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the research assignment?if yes, in what way?

It hasn’t had any influence. I briefly thought about making a synesthesia–font as my research assignment but then I remembered that I don’t really like typography and that there are people around that are way better than me at that, that’s why it’s a sourcebook.

To what sense would you like your this project, and the methodology used, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

Oh dear, here come the future–questions, I’ve been trying to avoid them for weeks. I do think about them, there’s just so much I want to do!

I would like to make more projects like this one. I’d like to work together with people who care about the same things as I do, and create things in which people can participate, and projects that get their own life after they’ve been introduced to the world.

Where did you do your internship?

At Circus Engelbregt, former EGBG, the studio of Martijn Engelbregt in Amsterdam.

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you, or, your (design) beliefs or (work)habits?

I have learned so much during my internship! It was an amazing experience. I’ve come to realise that a lot is possible if you just act like it’s a normal thing to ask, do or make. I still have the same ‘designbeliefs’ but they’re expanded to the belief that I can do whatever the hell I want if the story’s good enough. Spoken and unspoken design rules are very breakable if you break them consciously.

Also: yoga and holistic worldviews!

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Hahahaha. Yes, all the time. I’ve come to appreciate avocado very much.It’s the ultimate designerfood.

Onto another one of the projects of graduation: could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assigment for the practical assignment?

I worked together with Vincent Hammingh for the IABR (via Catalogtree), we made a publication about Carbon Added Tax, a great solution for climate change problems.

The corporation went really well, I think we complement eachother well in our work! (Fortunately, Vincent is very good in typography and I in turn can handle lots of data) The assignment went great and smoothly. Besides that, it was about saving the world, or at least the climate, so that’s great anyhow.

We had a lot of fun (Oh! And if I can I’d like to thank Walter from the printing work place here for his patience with all our weird printing technique–wishes).

Five years from now, you’ll be doing what?

OH DEAR LORD REALLY?

Okay… I’ll either be singing in a traveling folkband in Scandinavia, or be chained to a tree somehwere, or be making extremely succesful art projects or I’ll have written ten books and will live in a castle with all my friends and adopted pets and actually I have no clue whatsoever, but I hope I’ll be saving the world in some way.

And last but not least: any tips or advice for upcoming graduate students, or new students?

Run away, run away! Or the all–time favourite: be yourself, or at least try to find out who you are and what you want and don’t let anyone tell you that that’s not enough. And be healthy, sleep and sanity are more important than good grades. If anyone says otherwise: screw ‘em.

58 minutes w/ iris ijsvelt

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Could you briefly introduce yourself?

My name is Iris IJsvelt, I’m 22 years old and I live in Arnhem.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

It’s a periode where you really have to make choices for yourself and stay close to what you want to do. This was sometimes a bit difficult but also a good learning process.

Could you tell us about your research project?

My research project is about plastic objects which I found on the streets or in secondhand stores. The objects are left behind and I want to show these because a lot of people don’t seem to notice them anymore. In the project I am giving the objects a new function by using them again in a visual game of ordening, typology and structure. It’s about my view at the stuff we leave behind.

What was the urgency for you to start this project?

I have always been interested in using material that already exists. This is also what I am doing in this project. I want to show people something that I found very interesting and beautiful. I want to show people what is already there and what people walk by, and what they don’t see anymore.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently? Like, did you look at a certain designer or artwork, which inspired you?

I started to research the method of using existing materials in my thesis. Examples like Erik Kessels, Harmen Liemburg and Jon Rafman inspired me to use material which is already there. And now that I am making a video I’ve also looked at more video performances. But the most importend influence was the stuff that I could find in the streets, they made me think about a good way to show them, which eventually became video.

Does your this project, to you, feel as like it’s your Mona Lisa of your work so far?

I think / I hope that I will make a lot of these projects in the future. But for now it is definitely my ‘Mona Lisa’.

Could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

My thesis is about the collector in the digital age. It’s about designers and artists who make a choice nowadays to use the internet as a collecting source or they make the choice to use analog methods to collect.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the subject of your research assignment? if yes, in what way?

Yes it had a big influence on my research project. It made me look at collections of existing material and this is also what I am doing in my project, but then in my own way. And it also made me realize that there is a lot to find in ‘the analog world’.

To what sense would you like this project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

I really like the way I am working with something that I have found and than use it in a formal study of color, shape, size etc. These kind of studies I would love to keep doing after graduation.

Where did you do your internship?

I did my internship at Raw Color in Eindhoven.

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you of your (design)beliefs or (work)habits?

It did not really change it. But it did make me realize even more that graphic design can be used really good in combination with photography, film, textile etc. So it made me open up more to these different ways of working.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Hahaha yes they did! And now I am addicted to avocado’s.

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

I worked together with Kimberley Rutjes on a project for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. We worked with Carolien Glazenburg of the Stedelijk Museum. We were asked to make a catalog of the posters made for the Stedelijk Museum. It was an overview of the posters made from 1900 till now. The collaboration went really well! We both have our own qualities and we used them. And we made a book which we are both really happy with!

Five years from now, you’ll be doing what?

I hope I have a nice place where I can work for myself and make things that make me happy and hopefully other people too!

Any tips for upcoming graduate students? Or for new students?

Wellll if you become a new student at ArtEZ, really I guess it’s being true to yourself! Make things that you want to make and don’t let other people distract you. Listen to everything everybody has to say but then really make your own choices! AND…. try to relax once in a while. AND ROCK ON!

 

53 minutes w/ ruby bouwmeester

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Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi I’m Ruby, 23 and I live in Arnhem with my two cats and boyfriend.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

I graduated this January, so it’s a bit different for me. But I’m glad all the chaos is over now and I can go to this exhibition stress–free. But the last year was definitely the best of all, you have developed a sense of style that works for you as a graphic designer and you know better in which direction you want to work.

Could you tell us about your research project?

My research project is about The Language of Flowers, also sometimes called Floriography. It is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. At it’s highest point in 19th century Victorian England it was used to send a coded or secret message allowing the sender to express feeling that could not be spoken aloud. Every emotion or feeling could be translated back to a plant or flower. For example oak leaves means bravery, or a yellow rose means jealousy. To translate this subject into graphic design I looked at a technique where only natural elements are used, and where the plants themselves are part of the printing technique. That is why I decided to experiment with eco dyeing. Eco dyeing is a very old printing technique where the dyes or colorants are derived from plants or flowers. These plants leave an imprint of their outlines and / or colors on a surface.

In Floriography every emotion is related to a certain flower. So with that in mind I designed silk scarves and created my own ink that could literally carry out the heaviness of the sentiments in percentage (momentary/long–lasting).

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently?

My interest in Dead Media, communication forms and print design.

Does your graduation, to you, feel as like it’s your Mona Lisa of work so far?

I think with the graduation project you really get the chance to show who you are as a graphic designer because you have been given a long time to work on one project with a subject that you came up with yourself.

Could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

It’s about social–political mapping.

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the research assignment?If yes, in what way?

No not really, but I’ve described a lot of 19th century maps in my thesis so I must really like things from the past.

To what sense would you like this project, and its methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

I would like to work as a print designer, to combine graphic design with textile and fashion.

Where did you do your internship?

Mainstudio, Amsterdam

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you of your (design)beliefs or (work)habits?

I liked working in a nice environment. It was sort of a confirmation for yourself to see that you had chosen the right study.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Haha yes.

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assigment for the practical assignment?

Together with Lynn van Gijzel I’ve made a publication for 1001 publishers, called Meesterwerken en Meesterzetten by Frank Reijnders.

Five years from now, you’ll be doing what?

Work some place nice hopefully and maybe I’ll be living in Belgium.

Any tips for upcoming graduate students?

Don’t hesitate to long with the subject you want to choose for your graduation project. Find something that you really can relate to in all aspects and make sure you have enough time for sketches and tests.

175 minutes w/ nils rotgans

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Well hello, could you perhaps briefly introduce yourself?

I’m a graduation student interaction design. My focus is to make design with new media and old. Im very interested in information design and interaction design. To combine design and new media to com to a new elegant designs.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

on the academy we always had a instruction to make a project from. I think we had a lot of freedom but with the last project you could do everything. I thought that was very hard at start. But it is so fantastic to start research project just smal and make it to something big. I have loved the journey the most. Every time an other way to explore. And a totally unexpected end of the project. About the time pressure I think that is very personal, I actually work better with a fast deadline coming up.

Could you tell me something about your research project and what it’s about ?

Well it’s about my dislike on text. And how the dutch politic system and the media around it. Every time there are elections the political parties bring out a book about everything they promise us. That was the start of the project. I’m a person that is very match visual thinker. I don’t like reading a lot. And have a hard time to read every book that the parties give to the public. I wanted to make a visual interface that trimmed every personality and fake promise from the system. A honest image of the dutch politic system. without opinions and promises. Just show what the politic really is doing.

What were some important references for the project?

I had a lot of inspiration in data visualizations from the british and american money streams. And the most of my data i used is calculated by CPB and CBS. That are dutch agencies that keep track of the data what the politic generates.

Does this project to you feel like your mona lisa of projects?

Well, this is my biggest project jet. So in that perspective yes. But it is far from finished i need to find the time, money and energy to make it something real. The part that is now ready is just been researching. It is not reachable for everyone.

Could you tell me a little about your thesis?

Well, it’s could interactive architecture. Its about the media art in public locations. and what the artists do with the fact that more and more of our public space get more cameras and security. The big CCVT spaces that is slowly coming up. We get scanned and put in a archief. we don’t have any control about that and we don’t now about it. With my design i did the same. People that come in to the graduation expo, every one of them i photographed the face. Without their knowledge. after i took the picture i made a “offline” archive. I Printed the faces. My aim was to distribute knowledge from my thesis. So every time a person came in the room he printed his face with the text of my thesis. The person who did’t want his or her face to by in the archief needed to take my thesis.

Where did you do your internship?

At Art+Com a berlin based interactive media studio. They make a lot of installations with new media. i liked them because they work with big project and smal and the design is mostly indoors. it was a great way to learn a lot. A lot of different professions are working there. architects, interaction designers, graphic designers, hackers/developers ect. All to make conceptual work with new media.

Did doing an internship also influence some beliefs you have about design? and how did it change you?

Yes, but i was there for 6 months a lot of time to learn about a lot. I think my work did get a lot more mature. I cant say exactly what changed in my design, it is more the overall look and feel. The thing that did not change was my information design. That was the thing they did not have.

Did they serve avocado’s during lunch?

Ha!? not that i recall. sorry not of the top of my head. its already a year ago.

Next up is the practical assignment, could you tell me a little about that?

Sure!, we worked together with GoShort a short film, film festival in Nijmegen. We were ask to make a new sort of comment system. Like you find on soundcloud, youtube, reddit ect. Well you run fast in problems if you try that. we all know a lot of sh*t get on the internet and we did’t want that. so no text. also there needed to be a way to simple make a commend on a movie. In the and we came up with an idea with drawing a simple line. the hight of the line represented how good you think it was. and the width position with the timeline of the movie. People who went to the festival could do that on there smartphone and on ipads in the main hall, for each movie. In the main hall where also 2 big interactive posters that showed the last commends, best movie until now and stuf like that. On the last day the best movies always get an award. This year every winner of an awards did get the average line from there movie back. we 3d printed that at the last moment for al of the winers. this line was every interesting because you say what part of the movie the public found great and what not so much.

Five years from now, what will you be doing?

I dont know. i want to start same day my own little studio. but i want to work for a nice big studio until than. i want to go back go berlin. but there is no work for my at the time.

Do you have some tips or advice for upcoming graduate or new students?

Listen to this! all day all night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCy7lLQwToI

i dont realy have any tips. its your own “Journey”.

93 minutes w/ joëlle terlouw

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Could you introduce yourself?

Yes, I am Joëlle, 22 years old.

At the moment I live in Kootwijkerbroek (Gelderland)

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

I think it’s all pretty cool actually. You get a lot of freedom and it seems that this creates much more opportunities… Choosing your own project instead of getting an assignment from a teacher is much more motivating somehow. You are really responsible of successfully finishing your own ideas. I find that exciting, good and very interesting!

Could you tell us something about your research project?

Yes, I’m researching autonomy. Autonomy is a much used word in descriptions of art and graphic design en is being used in many ways. But those ways are very much contradictive to each other. First, I researched the use of the term ‘autonomy’ in literature. I found all sorts of conflicting uses, which I think devalued the term. Which is a shame, because autonomy is such a beautiful, powerful word. In my research project I want to raise awareness for the ambivalence of autonomy, to revitalize the discussion on autonomy (like how this happened a few years ago with The Autonomy Project in the VanAbbenmuseum).

Autonomy is not something physical, or something tactile, and this is why there is so much to be said about it. For instance, on one hand you could say that autonomy is aesthetical, that is it about the beauty of something, or the use of materials and the experience of that. On the other hand, you could say that when the aesthetical values of an artwork are playing a too big role, this artwork cannot be autonomous anymore.

This is just one of many discussions which is involved when it comes to autonomy. That discussion, ironically but serious, is something which I want to bring to the surface and show. Doing that, I will stay neutral. There is already so much said about it, I don’t feel the need to add another opinion to that.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently?

By having talks with teachers, other students and the authors of the articles on autonomy, I found out that the autonomy of art is comparable with the ‘Is there a God?’–matter within religion. Doe autonomy exist or not? Autonomy is, just like a God, physical, not touchable. Everyone has their own opinion on the (non) existence of it. This creates an endless discussion which also applies to autonomy. I found this quite exciting, it motivated me even more to research all the facets of the autonomy discussion. That is how I realized that autonomy is a sensitive subject. Which I had to approach rather seriously, with some irony. Because the discussion on autonomy is absurd, but because of that, very interesting as well.

Does your research project, to you, feel as like it’s your Mona Lisa of your work so far?

It definitely is a project which is close to my interests. In that sense it feels more ‘balanced’ than other projects. And the assignment is not officially given by school, but by yourself. That feels kind of awesome… This project is among other things based on research, which I like, and now you’ve had the time and space for it. That deepness is what makes the project really interes– ting. It contains a certain urgency, which makes this project more valuable than other past projects.

Could you tell us something about your thesis?

My thesis has the same base as my research project. Like I said before artworks are often labeled ‘poetic’ or ‘autonomous’. In my thesis I focus on poetry. What is poetry? Wat does poetry mean in this period of time and how can a graphic designer insert poetry in his or her design?

This thesis has a basic structure of a gradient. It begins with the poetic text (a poem), then fades into visual poetry (words and letters poured into a certain shape), and from there it fades into the poetic image (images) and eventually this all comes together in a poetic design. A graphic designer uses words and images as base material. Poetry communicates in a very special and often ambivalent way with these materials, what can be very interesting for a graphic designer!

Has your thesis had a certain influence on deciding on the subject of the research assignment?

The subjects are relatively close to each other, and the starting point of both subject is also king of the same (the question of what the word actually really means and how it’s been used in the world of art and graphic design). The way of looking at and researching of the subject in both projects have definitely influenced each other.

To what sense would you like your project, and it’s methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

I find the research minded approach very important and valuable. I definitely want to continue that, but than maybe in way that is even more combined to my personal style. ArtEZ has a very own style, throughout the years you certainly pick up on that a little. But I want to emphasize my own style and combine this with a research minded approach. Enthusiasm, focus on a certain design and studying while researching.

Where did you do your internship?

My internship was at Buro Reng in Groningen.

Buro Reng does both commercial as self–initiated projects. I find that to be a very pleasant combination, because I wanted to learn in both fields. Hans Gerritsen and Pascal Rumph are the owners of the studio. At the moment they work a lot on websites and other digital applications.

 

In what way has the experience of doing an internship changed you of your (design) beliefs or (work)habits?

Communication is a very central thing at their studio, and they’re very good at it! They are honest, open and direct. They have definitely inspired me as to becoming aware of words. And they also encouraged me to keep doing what feels good to me. It’s less stressing for both yourself and in the communication towards the client.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Haha, NO! not even! They did have a lot of other good food though!

Could you inform us on your partner, client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

I did my practical assignment in collaboration with Britte Hietkamp. This collaboration went very well and the assignment that we got was very cool. We had to make a design for a graphic design file catalog. Beautiful posters! Very nice material to work with, that alone made the project just awe some to work on. What became kind of an interesting matter was the fact that the Stedelijk Museum really wanted us to make them a very basic research document and that our guiding teachers at ArtEZ wanted to see us experiment a lot. After a lot of considerations, we found a good and cool compromise, which of course was kind of exciting during the final presentation. We showed them the final publication and they loved it!

What will you be doing in 5 years from now?

Very likely I will be doing a masters or working at a graphic design studio to gain some working experience, and next to this I will probably be working on self–initiated projects.

Any tips or advice for upcoming graduate or new students?

Let yourself be guided by the teachers, but mostly: stay true to yourself and your own ideas!