89 minutes w/ johanne de heus

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Architecture, Book Design, Cartography, Graphic design, Identity, Johanne de Heus, Part Time, Social Engagement, System Design

Could you introduce yourself?

My name is Johanne de Heus, I live in Amersfoort and I am currently studying graphic design, part–time.

Could you tell me something about your research project?

In my research assignment I analyse how people give sense to ‘a grid’. I think it’s very fascinating to observe the behavior of human beings. Especially the differences in that behavior are interesting to me, how an individual behaves in a larger group of people. People often demonstrate a certain behavior to be part of a (sub)culture, or to not be part of a group. The most fun about that is that most people seem to think they have their own identity, yet they very easily can be classified into a certain (sub)culture. I have chosen for the town house, because you can read a lot of people’s behavior from it. I analyse several part of about 40 identical town houses: in which way the path reaches the door, how much facade is covered by plants and trees and where and how much objects are placed around the front door. I translate what I see into graphic illustrations, which makes it easy to compare to each other en to be astonished about the differences and similarities.

All the front yards have the same measurements, so this is basically what is given to the inhabitant by the architecture. They can fill this grid up with whatever they like when they inhabit it.

What was the urgency for you to start this project?

Like I have said before, I find it interesting to observe people, to see in what way they are expressing themselves towards the outside world. I can really enjoy thinking of different scenarios while doing that. In this way, it gets a life of it’s own. This is exactly why I choose to show ‘The Paths to the Front Door’ in a pretty sec way. I do not literally want to tell my story because I hope people will think of their own when they see it. The art project ‘Exactitudes’ to me is very comfortable to look at. This project has had quite an influence during my research. The differences in similarities is what makes it a story of it’s own.

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

Inspirational projects and designers are certainly ‘Exactitudes’ by Arie Versluis & Ellie Uyttenbroek, Hans Eijkelboom and the way of designing of Martijn Engelbregt.

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

It is very much about myself, I guess, about my way of looking at my environment. I am very pleased with the result because I was struggling in the beginning and now I found a way to translate for what I find fascinating about it. It is not necessarily about the architecture. It is more a way to introduce other to my point of view on my fascination.

How is the whole ‘graduation experience’ doing it for you?

Very stressful, haha! The hardest thing is the total freedom you get, I think, and also that I am the one who’s deciding in all of this. I like freedom very much in such projects, however it is in my comfort zone to hold on to certain frames while shaping and deciding on things around those frames.

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

In my thesis I am looking for strategies of spatiality in two– and three dimensional typography. I divide typography in several groups such as dynamic typography or transboundary typography. Then, I distil strategies of spatiality based on the work of artists. Such a strategy to create spatiality in two dimensional work is for example playing with the features of the baseline or committing interaction between the black and white of a letter in interaction with the viewer.

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

The use of second and third dimension maybe. I translate something spatial to something flat. But maybe also the sorting and grouping of information to gain a different point of view.

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

I have promised myself to use spatial elements or strategies of spatiality more often in my work, because I just think this makes a design much more interesting. And the aesthetics of grouping will probably remain to be a important part, I think.

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

My client is the Place de l’Opera, which is a webmagazine for people who love opera. Through news reports, reviews, interviews, announcements and background stories they sent out a report on a daily basis about the developments in the national and international opera world. I was asked to design a seasonal book in which you can find all there is to offer in field of opera, such as a agenda, several interviews, reports, and other stories. The seasonal book I made is for the coming opera.

Could you perhaps elaborate a little on your whole ‘GDA Experience’ as to how you’ve experienced over all in the last five years?

I’m very happy with the the fact that I was able to learn a lot from the teachers and that I was given new points of view on the profession of graphic design, and all the possibilities this profession provides. I do however struggle with the endlessness which silently slips into some projects sometimes. The almost overdeveloping sometimes creates unnecessary complications and it might feel like you get lost in your own project. A little bit of deeper developing is necessary of course, but when things feel right you should feel the freedom to make what you want to make and be happy with the outcome.

In 5 years, you’ll be doing what?

Hopefully I’ll be having a lot of fun projects and still have fun in designing.

Any advice for new students?

No.

51 minutes w/ styn geurts

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Design tools, Digital design, Graphic design, interaction design, Open internet, Spatial Design, Styn Geurts, System Design

Hey, could you briefly introduce yourself?

I’m Styn, a 26 years old male.

Recognizable: the dude with a black shirt.

Ok, so how is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

It’s going “great”, love it!

Positive thoughts.

Would you tell us about your research project?

My research project is about the struggle which I have with my smartphone and how it controls me.

Or how I control it and I’m trying to translate it back to a machine.

In the proces its hard to translate it to a form that wouldn’t become really judgemental. I don’t want to tell people “put your phone away!”, I just wanted to slow the dialogue we have with the device and how we revolve around it. Do we control the device or does the device control us?

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

The biggest influence was me, that I really did not want to make a book. There is so much cool stuff going on in the whole open source DIY scene. I want my graduation project to be an experiment in that scene.

I can’t control all of the variables of the thing I’m building. Because I don’t know enough about it, but I don’t mind. I like the journey in it. To create a tool that tells my concept in a more or less “original” way.

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

Oh no. More like a the work of a toddler who’s trying to create the mona lisa, and has fun while doing so. It’s all about the journey. I’m less interested in the total outcome. I want to see where I stand as a designer. It feels like I’m testing myself. What kind of a designer I am *em dash*.

Onto another project: could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

My thesis is about drawing machines and whether or not a machine that is capable of recreating, has got aura.

So, your thesis has had a certain influence on deciding on the research assignment I guess?

To be honest, not really. I had to write about something I guess.

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

I hope to keep building stuff in the future. I don’t want to become a designer that sits at his desk 24/7.

Where did you do your internship?

My internship was at EDHV in Eindhoven.

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

What I learned at EHDV is how important it is to really look at your own work and filter it for what it’s worth, and if you are researching to go as deep as possible, to blow your client away.

But the most important thing I learned by EDHV is how I would not run my business. Don’t get me wrong, I have a massive respect for Remco van de Craats and for how he made EDHV a successful company. But I wouldn’t wanted to do the way he does it. I never felt at ease there.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Only if Raw Color was there.

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

I am working with Jolinde. Our project is to make a reference book for Facing Pages. Facing Pages is a magazine festival here in Arnhem. It went well, we had a lot of fun. The assignment is nice because you are working with beautiful magazines and we got free tickets to Facing Pages!

Could you perhaps elaborate a little on your whole ‘GDA Experience’ as to how you’ve experienced over all in the last 4 years?

It was ok. It’s a miracle I didn’t die of a caffeine overdose. I wish I started in the first year now, instead of 4 years ago. And maybe then, I would start studying Interaction Design. The lessons they get now seem really awesome with all the programing stuff.

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

Designing the new identity for McDonald’s or Burger King.

Last question; any tips for upcoming graduate students, or new students?

A 6 is comparible to a 10. They’re only grades. In the end they are worthless.

215 minutes w/ doeke wartena

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Design tools, Doeke Wartena, interaction design, System Design

Could you briefly introduce yourself?

I’m Doeke Wartena, I studied graphic design for two and a half year. Back then i did a lot of monk work that took me hours or days to do. I liked creating things based on rules, always looking at ways to organize content with a reason. We also had information design back then which i really loved. At the end of the 2nd year I also started to learn programming to speed up my workflow. Then in the 3th year I was less able to express myself. The assignments we had were less open for structure or systems i wanted to create. After a while I decided to take a break and come back a year after to continue where I left. During that break I decided it would be better for me to make the switch to interaction design, which is a choice I have never regretted. For the rest, I have a really broad interest that is still growing and it’s always hard for me to narrow it down, which I do try. Also, I’m an extreme perfectionist which isn’t always easy.

Could you tell me how the whole experience is doing it for you?

The experience is really different from the normal assignments we have where there is a 8 week time frame for around 10 assignments. That sounds like a lot of time but having 10 assignments and spending a lot of time looking what others made really narrows it down. Now we have a lot more time to work on a much bigger project. First I didn’t like to work on such long projects cause you can’t move on to the next. I had a bit of a rough start with my research project. After that I restarted almost from scratch and now I figured out I really like to work on such a big project. When I’m graduated I even want to continue working on it.

In that case, does your research project or graduation in general feel like it’s some kind of mona lisa of work you’ve done or will do?

I leave the Mona Lisa far behind.

Could you tell us about your research project?

The work name for it is MarkerMusic. MarkerMusic allows a user to edit a music sequencer and draw sounds with markers. It’s focus is to be intuitive. It’s a combination of both hard– and software. Sheets are used to drawn on which also forms a way to store the music created so it can be used for later reuse and allows quicker modification. For the rest it’s more and instrument then an installation, which means it’s easy to set up. The whole table can be turned into a small suitcase in almost no time.

What were some important influences for this project?

It’s kind of driven away from where it started. It started when i was watching the videoclip Around the World from Daft Punk. A really great clip directed by Michel Gondry (the director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and with choreography by Blance Li. In this clip there are 5 groups of people. Each group represents an instrument. A group is only performing when the instrument it belongs to is playing. When i saw this i had the idea that the way they move could be converted back to music. They also had a round podium. I converted this idea to basically a round sequencer where tangibles could be used and also be piled up so the height would also be taken into account to create music. I wanted to do this with clay since it’s being a nice “tool” to create stuff. But in the process I got stuck by lack of sound knowledge and ideas of how to translate my idea to reality. The project had some twists in it I’m really happy with and now it’s going in a direction I really like.

Could you tell me a little on the topic of your written thesis?

My thesis is called “Dynamische leesbaarheid in het digitale boek” which translates to “Dynamic readability in the digital book”. The main focus is about how an eye tracker could be used to get information about the way a user reads. This data can be used to make changes to a text format to then measure if the adjustment was an improvement or not. But in my thesis i also handle aspects like time of the day, gps location and ambient noise and several others that can influence reading. It’s a bit hypothetical but not unrealistic. The future will tell how long it takes.

Does the topic of your thesis, to some extend, influence your design beliefs and find it’s way into your research project or other ways of your practice as a designer?

Not really, it’s hypothetical. Although i’m making a system that can improve the typography layout over time. If that works well i would like to see how it works out with people that have dyslexia.

Another bit of digging in the past: could you inform me about your practical assignment and the person you collaborated with?

For the practical assignment i worked on The Venice Biennale Ideological Guide 2013 together with Roel Oortgiesen and Thomas Boland. The project was initiated by artist Jonas Staal to display how the Venice Biennale is influenced by geopolitical relationships from the present and the past. For each participating pavilion a whole team of people gathered statistics and wrote a new opening text to explain the relation between the political situation in the country and the art in the pavilion. We were responsible for making this information available in the form of an application for smartphones. We were in charge of the actual programming of the iOS version of the application as well as the look–and–feel for which we closely collaborated with designer Remco van Bladel. The main function of the application is to show and to compare the gathered information. Another important feature is the map that shows the user’s location, the location of the pavilions and the routes to follow. This can all happen completely offline to prevent roaming costs. There a preset routes for among others the G8 and the Arabic League. When the user follows this routes he can explore the relations between all the pavilions in the route. Remco did some of the coordination among with De Heren van Design and Reneé In der Mauer. We sometimes had meetings together but Roel Oortgiesen had most to do with Remco since Roel was on the design as well. Thomas and me where more focussed on the technical aspect of the application.

Where did you do your internship?

I did my internship at Onformative, a small studio in Berlin that had 4 people back then. Onformative creates a lot of output based on generative design.

Could you maybe tell a little on how doing an internship abroad influenced you and your design beliefs or work habits?

The fact that I did my internship abroad at Onformative didn’t change my design beliefs or work habits. If it was located in the Netherlands it could have done the same. But a really nice and inspiring thing of an abroad internship is the fresh input you get from being somewhere else for a long time. We went out for lunch everyday cause it’s way more affordable there then it is here. Such a thing breaks the day really nice and is more cozier.

Did they serve avocado during lunch in Berlin?

In berlin you go out for lunch to eat avocados. But my addiction was Vietnamese soup

Could you speculate on what you would like to be doing five years from now?

I would like to freelance 2 days in the week, work on my own projects 2 days a week and teach one day a week.

do you have any tips or pointers for upcoming graduation students based on your own experience?

weeks of programming can save hours of thinking.

78 minutes w/ desiree staarman

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Book Design, Desiree Staarman, Graphic design, Part Time, System Design

Could you introduce yourself please?

My name is Desiree Staarman and I’m 27 years old. This is my second study so I do it part time. In between studys I travelled ove the world for eight months.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

It’s a great and heavy experience. You really have to work hard and be focused on what you are doing and why. It is fun that you can work with things that you really like in design and life but you also have three teachers who has opinions what can be difficult some times. But I have learned a lot the past school year!

Could you tell us something about your research project?

The research project is about time and it is bundled in a book. The book is called Momentum. I would like to show the beauty of everyday things to see what you’re passing through in the hectic experience of time. In this project I take the time and you can see my graphic fascination wat has given me in that moment.

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

I noticed that I was always working and running and I was never enjoying little things in life or living in the moment. As a result, I got inspired by different types of time. After my research I wanted a method where I had to stop at that moment and really look around me. What do I see and what fascinates me? I had given seven persons a card with the message that they had to contact me on a certain day. Each person was chosen for a day of the week and they gave me a STOP message. When I received that message I had to stop doing what I was doing en look around me. These seven moments (each day of the week) inspired me to take the time for that fascination. So the book has seven outcomes bundled together.

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

[Certainly. The large book containing all the graphic surprises is really something that suits me. You can really see my love for patterns and organizing. The book is very personal because the outcomes of the moments are my fascinations. Somebody else would see something else in that moment. So you really see my personality in it and it is the biggest project I have worked on so far.

Onto another part of graduation: could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

My thesis is about patterns. The question of my thesis is: Are patterns forms of meaningless decoration? I talk about patterns in nature, culture and religion, and patterns in art.

So, the subject of your thesis has probably had a certain influence on deciding what to do for your research project I guess?

Yes indeed. It is the way I show the everyday things in my Momentum book. You can see my love for patterns in the research project but it isn’t about patterns. If you put chaos and time together you will always find patterns.

To what sense would you like these projects, and their methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

I would love to work with the stop method I used for the research project because then you never know what the outcome will be. And after graduation you have to make money so this method would makes sure that I will be living in the now. I am sure that after graduation I will make more patterns!

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

For my practical assignment I made a theater brochure. I made this for a theater in Amersfoort. But they are not going to use it so I hope they will in the future! I want to pitch it for them.

Could you perhaps tell a little on your whole ‘GDA Experience’ as to how you’ve experienced over all in the last couple of years?

It was always intens and hard work because I did the study part time but it was worth it. I learned so much about typography, design, illustrations and concepts. There were great teachers who really learned me to draw outsides the lines and gave me allot of knowledge about good design in the world.

What do you see yourself doing in about 5 years from now?

I want to be the owner of my own design studio. Working with different kinds of people on many projects. I want to make great and beautiful things what makes me and others happy.

Any advice for upcoming braduate students or new students?

If you are going to graduate you must ensure that your framework is clear and your method otherwise you can get lost in your interests.

159 minutes w/ rikke maas

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Book Design, Graphic design, Rikke Maas, System Design

Hi! Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Rikke Maas,

a 22 year old girl.

I like:

books

letters

illustrations

photography

magazines

How is the whole ‘graduation experience’ doing it for you?

Like a roller coaster: fast and exciting!

Could you tell me something about your research project?

A clock without hands, is a project about the perception of time today. We live on the outside of ourselves, we are ruled by the clock. When do we take time for ourselves, to relax or just do nothing? The book consists of two parts: the first part is a collection of essays by philosopher Joke Hermsen and the second part is empty.. or not?

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently? Was there a certain artwork or designer which inspired you in a certain way?

The basis of my project are the essays of Joke Hermsen. Her essays inspired me tremendously, she makes a plea for a slow future. She tells about the importance of the adjustment of the balance between the time and the inner time. The paintings of Mark Rothko fit very well with the subject, if you are in front of such impressive giant painting, you are drawn into the work, and everything around you just get’s noise.

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

This project is completely Rikke. I feel that this is the icing on the cake, looking at my years at the academy. Of course you can not do everything you like you in one project. But this is a small look at what let’s my heart beat faster in graphic design.

Ok, well let’s go to another topic. You probably already finished it a bit earlier than we did, but could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

The subject of my thesis is the visuality of text. I discuss three forms: text as image, text and collage and text as meaning. Artists such as Theo van Doesburg, Edward Ruscha and Jenny Holzer are discussed.

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

Not at first sight, but in some small things I see a link. Because in my research assignment I use only text. Of course, this text has substantive meaning but also the shape and length of the text has meaning.

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

I love typography and I love books. But I also take the content of the book with me to the future. I do not want to get into the routine of life, living by the clock. But sometimes search for the silence, take a step back, breath and dream. Then you will get the best inspiration.

Where did you do your internship?

Glamcult Studio based in Amsterdam, Glamcult is a design studio with a lot of tasks in the fashion district, but also does projects for example charities. This combination really appealed to me. Also the magazine they release: Glamcult, I’ve read for many years. I learned a lot by Glamcult Studio (Marline Bakker, Suzie Wempe, Isabelle Vaverka). Practical issues such as contact with a customer, but also the steps that are made in a creative process with a deadline.

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

Deadlines, panicked phone calls, wrong documents, confused printers. Those are not only things at the academy but certainly in practice. I am more aware that you need to get most out of your time. But not to catch up by the time: sometimes take some distance to get your ideas into perspective. The importance of graphic designers is also very large.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Yes of course, avocado hüttenkase and watercress.

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

My practical assignment was to design the new stamp for Post NL. The client and contact person at Post NL was Julius Vermeulen.

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

I’m a designer who has big fun designing magazines, books and illustrations.

Any advice for upcoming graduate students, or maybe for new students?

Have fun!! Play with everything you get (letters, colors, content, images)! There is time enough to become serious.

61 minutes w/ hilde peters

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Autonomous Design, Graphic design, Hilde Peters, interaction design, Part Time, Spatial Design, Specualtive Design, System Design

Hi, could you introduce yourself?

I am Hilde Peters, 29 years old, living in Cuijk.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

It’s great after 3 years to be allowed to choose my own design projects and still have simultaneously the conversations about it with the teachers. This was the year in which I learned the most, have discovered what suits me as a designer. I’ve also enjoyed writing my thesis.

Could you tell us about your research project?

My research was focused on unintentional language. I’ve listened to sentences on the street and noticed how poetic some of them were. I gave them a ‘stage’ in the public space, on public grids.

What was the urgency for you to start this project?

Text in our public space that is not intended to persuade, entice of inform is exeptional. I like the unintentional aspect of communication, because it is pure. Instead of the million written things you can find online, these sentences would have been lost forever if I hadn’t used them. The sentences did not receive an online ‘like’, but many offline thumbs up and smiling faces.

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

In our modern communication via social media, we are constantly creating an ‘image’ of ourselves. I want to show the value of the spontaneity in our reality.

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

Yes, I guess so. In the previous years, my work also shows my identity as a designer in aspects, but never was a project so refined and finalized as now.

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

My thesis is about our rationalized society and how (nature, experience and technology in) art can provide us wonderment to get us for a moment out of the everyday life. In today’s society we can understand almost everything. I think it sometimes is important not to understand anything.

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

Yes, absolutely. In my research I have felt the same urge for ‘offline surprises’. I saw people passing my work, looking two times, because it was different than what they saw everyday in their street. That is exactly what I was aiming for in my thesis. I want us to stay away from a life on autopilot.

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

What I like the most about this project is that the project translates what I think. It is a ‘performance’ in the middle of society, but it wouldn’t really match my character if I had to stand over there…Now the spotlight is on the work and I can communicate through my work.

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

My client was ‘Actieradius’ – an organization dedicated to mediation in supply and demand in volunteering – I developed a low–budget volunteer recruitment drive that can be performed by volunteers themselves.

Could you perhaps elaborate a little on your ‘GDA Experience’ as to how you’ve experienced over all in the last four years?

I was completely new to the world of graphic design. I knew I had an affinity with it, but I had no background or previous classes in this sector. I’ve learned a lot, these four years. I have absorbed information and experience like a sponge. It was a great time, in which I’ve fully committed to the academy, to get the best out of myself. It was incredibly intense, but I fully enjoyed it.

What will you be doing in 5 years from now?

I hope to be an independent designer that accomplishes every project with the same enthusiasm there is now.

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

This is the year in which you can freely explore what kind of designer you are and want to become. Enjoy it.

101 minutes w/ britte hietkamp

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Autonomous Design, Britte Hietkamp, Graphic design, Identity, Mixed Media, Morality, System Design

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!

69 minutes w/ kimberley rutjes

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Book Design, Cartography, Graphic design, Hidden Data, interaction design, Kimberley Rutjes, Social Engagement, System Design

Could you introduce yourself?

Yes, my name is Kimberley. At the moment i am 25 years old.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

Well, it’s going quite good actually, there have been a lot of ups and downs. But I guess that’s all part of graduating.

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

Briefly, it’s about the secret cities in Russia (so called ZATOs) I was looking for a way how I could ‘open’ this closed system, so I came up with the idea of storytelling.

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

I like the use of symbolism and metaphors (and narratives), I already knew i wanted to use these ‘tools’ to make (say, a closed city) visual. There were not necessarily any designers or artworks which inspired me, it was mostly philosophers (from the 19th century).

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

Yes, because I can see that all the research and sketches are leading to one final end result.

Onto another part of graduation: could you briefly inform us on the subject of your thesis?

My thesis is about how art(itst) and design(era) ‘infiltrate’ in different type of media formats, how they follow the ‘design rules’ of each type, to for example, make a statement.

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

Kinda, I use a novel as a ‘tool’ in my research project. Just like some of the artists and designers use other types of media as a tool in my thesis.

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

I’ve always liked the use of symbolism and metaphors in art and design. So after graduation I would like to continue to do something similar.

Were did you do your internship?

I did my internship at Márcia Novais (in Porto). They mostly design for exhibitions and lectures all in and around the city of Porto.

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

I’ve learned how to work more concentrated, as in starting with a good basis. I’m always quite chaotic while working on a project so I’ve learned that it’s good to have in mind: ‘first things first’.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

Nope, haha I think this is more a dutch designer–thing isn’t it?

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

Me and Iris IJsvelt made a catalogue for the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. We had access to the archive of all the graphic posters from starting from 1900 (arpox) It was quite a challenge to make it into a practical catalogue, but I think we did a good job.

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

Living abroad or working at TNT post.

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

Rock on — Kimberley Rutjes (2014).

58 minutes w/ iris ijsvelt

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Archiving, Autonomous Design, Graphc Design, Hidden Data, Iris IJsvelt, Mixed Media, System Design

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!

119 minutes w/ wouter ebben

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Hidden Data, interaction design, Spatial Design, System Design, Wouter Ebben

Hi, could you briefly introduce yourself?

Hi, my name is Wouter Ebben and I am graduating at the department of interaction design.

How is the whole graduation experience doing it for you?

It has been pretty gruesome. But I’ve learnt a lot from it, more than I thought I would actually.

Could you tell us about your research project?

No, I’m afraid that’s classified. But I can say this: with my research project I am proposing a system that can be utilized to create physical (3D) objects based on data. So a system to create data visualisation objects. Data as a subject is getting more and more attention, and as a designer I am mostly concerned about the way we visualise this data. Although this project focuses on the visualisation of data (by physical means), the added value of spatiality is in my opinion of a more elementary nature. In other words, apart from the added value specifically to the data visualisation part of the objects, the physical form in itself is already an added value.

What were some important influences for the creation of your project the way it’s constructed currently? maybe certain artists or artworks you’ve looked at for inspiration?

Well, I looked a lot at existing data visualisation methods, as well as existing spatial data sculptures. And also geometry in maths. But not any specific artist or something.

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

No, it doesn’t. Actually, finding a good subject for my research project wasn’t working out very well for me. So eventually, after about six failed attempts, the department assigned me this topic. This doesn’t mean however, that I don’t like it. Personally, I feel quite strongly that physicality, materiality and tactility add a lot of value to the experience of many things. In a world where our lives are spent more and more in the digital realm, I want to advocate the use of physical media. So that’s partially what drove me for this project (also, I want to graduate). The same goes for my thesis, whose topic is closely related to my research project.

Could you tell me about your thesis then?

Certainly! My thesis is about data sculptures, which are physical representations of data. There isn’t one set definition, but usually data sculptures are direct externalisations of the data. Which basically means as much as form follows data. But there is of course always some aesthetic expression by the artist. Contrary to what you might think, more often than not they are difficult to read at first sight. You have to learn how to read them.

In what way are the subjects of your thesis and your research project related?

In my thesis I look at the properties of data sculptures and how they differ from two dimensional visualisations. Because it is quite a niche subject, I also studied some product design, art theory and psychology literature. My main goal was trying to paint a picture of the subject and see what data sculptures could bring us.

To what sense would you like your these projects, and their methodology, to correspond to your practice after graduation?

Hmmm… I feel quite strongly that the integration of the digital realm and analog/physical world is going to be a very big part of our lives, and I think a lot of great things can be done there. I wouldn’t mind being a part of that, but at the moment I haven’t got the foggiest about what I want to do after I graduate to be honest. I might become a designer, but I might just as well become a butcher. But I think at first I will venture more into front–end web design. I enjoy it and would like to get better at it, and it’s also a good field of work to make some cash.

Another subject: Where did you do your internship?

My internship was at Kossmann.dejong (kossmanndejong.nl) in Amsterdam. They call themselves exhibition architects and I think that’s a fitting description. They design exhibitions for museums. I had a wonderful time there.

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

I can’t say it actually changed my beliefs, or even my work habits, but one of the things I learnt a lot about was how to make good presentations. This will probably baffle my teachers if they read it, but that’s because I never have the time for the proper preparations haha. Also, it made me change my mind about working in a team/company as apposed to being my own boss.

Did they serve avocado during lunch?

They sure did! The lunches were great! All organic as well, and always gezellig (you just can’t translate gezellig…). Perhaps sociable if you must.

Could you inform us on your partner, (if you had one), client and type of assignment for the practical assignment?

I worked for, and with the design innovation department of Philips design. My assignment was to design an object that would provide information to the parents of premature born babies. These babies are living in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and are very fragile. The object is supposed to be placed at home so the parents can stay informed, because they can’t be at the hospital all the time. The object had to look friendly and not like a (medical) machine. The object – I named it Vigilo – communicates by means of light and movement. A heat map (of colored light) shows the position the baby is in at the top of the object, where the darker the color, the more weight presses down at that point, while at the bottom of the object, different colored lights indicate when the baby is being fed. Meanwhile the object moves up and down based on the rhythm of the breathing.

There is also a “neutral” state that gets activated when the baby is asleep, or when the hospital staff has to do something with the baby. In this state, no information is provided.

The object is shaped like an egg, to refer to the fragility of the baby and also the baby in the incubator. The movement of the object makes it appear to be a living object, symbolizing the new life that has joined the family. The heat map is pink because this color is associated with babies in many cultures, but even more so because it has the psychological effect of easing the mind. The light that indicates the feeding of the baby is colored orange. The idea behind this being that the color orange stimulates the appetite, hopefully moving the parents to eat at the same time, to give them an even more in synch feeling.

What will you be doing in 5 years from now?

Pffffwoooeee, I have no idea! But I hope I’m hiking in a beautiful country, or climbing the most beautiful rock face I ever had the privilege to climb. But maybe, just maybe, I’m working my ass off. One can always dream though. Maybe I can even combine the two.

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

A bit cliché, but in my experience the most important thing is to work with subjects you really enjoy, and keep enjoying in the longer run. Also: using your hands can be very helpful. Sometimes just go and build something with paper or what not, designing with your hands and not with your head can produce completely different insights and results. Furthermore, the most important lesson I had to learn is to make decisions, even if they’re bad, at least you can move on and you have something to work with. If you have to you can always make changes later, so don’t let indecision hold you up too long. Oh, if I can, I would like to add a link to a video on youtube that I find inspiring and good advice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmY4–RMB0YY. It’s really worth the entire 36 minutes, or for the short version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijtQP9nwrQA

53 minutes w/ ruby bouwmeester

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Boundaries, Graphic design, Hidden Data, Identity, Interim, Mixed Media, Ruby Bouwmeester, System Design

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.

63 minutes w/ dominiek kampman

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Admin

Category: Project
Tags: Archiving, Book Design, Design tools, Dominiek Kampman, Graphic design, Mixed Media, System Design

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.