Entèvyou Dizaynè
13 kesyon
From childhood on I was always telling stories. As a kid, I used Legos and pencils. In my teens, I started taking pictures with my dad's old camera. So Art School was the logical choice for me.
Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
From childhood on I was always telling stories. As a kid, I used Legos and pencils. In my teens, I started taking pictures with my dad's old camera. So Art School was the logical choice for me. There I got a fascination for typography and the expression you can put into letters.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Currently, I'm working at a communication company as a senior designer and taking care of my 3-year-old son. He's a constant source of inspiration for new typefaces and personal projects.
What is "design" for you?
For me, design is putting a bit more love into a product than necessary. So it'll convey a thought, an idea, or a feeling the designer wanted you to know or feel.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
Logos! The challenge is, to find the core of a client's story and to convey it with minimal elements in a confined space.
What makes a design successful?
A design is successful when the client feels that his or her story is being told without reading a word. This is true for logos, menu cards, and business cards, but also for other disciplines in design. For example, a new chair design can convey a solution to a problem the designer noticed and solved.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
There are many variables in a project and as a designer, you can influence many of them. The visuals are your main responsibility, so you must them as beautiful as possible. So you'll make the world a more beautiful place, one design at the time. You’re also in a position to advise your client to keep the production local and green. Take advantage of that.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
A lot of inspiration comes from my 3-year-old son. His enthusiasm and playfulness are infectious. Also, I regularly visit museums, read (art) books, and listen to music. Inspiration takes many forms and is everywhere, so I always keep my eyes open.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
My style can be defined as modern with a bold statement. I take an essential part of the client’s story and find a new way of looking at it. So it’ll stand out, get noticed, and … most importantly … be remembered.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
There’s no shutting down my designer brain. On the positive side, I see beauty everywhere and am constantly inspired by the simplest things. This means, I fully enjoy a meal in a restaurant that has a website that reflects the interior. Where the logo is in the same style as the menu card. On the negative side, when a logo doesn’t fit, it annoys the heck out of me. I can’t stop looking at it and trying to find a solution to this ‘problem’.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
Sketch everything first on a blank piece of paper. You’ll immediately notice if it works or not.
What skills are most important for a designer?
A combination of creativity, confidence, and the ability to listen. As a designer, it’s your job to tell the client’s story and convey it through your skills and knowledge. It’s knowing when the client is right and convincing him/her, when he/she is not.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
There are several projects on my shelf. The first is a recreation of a 10-year-old project, the Lego Nachtwacht. Another one of them is a monospaced typeface with a sans-serif and a serif version. Details for this project are still a bit vague, but I’ll keep my followers posted.
How can people contact you?
Follow me directly on instagram.com/jasper_nijssen or visit my site: www.jaspernijssen.nl. You can always try sending a smoke signal, but you can also write an email to: info@jaspernijssen.nl.
