Clouds over paradise
An introduction to the current state of Dutch Design, commissioned by K.A.K. Magazine (Russia), October 2010
The Netherlands are known around the world for having an extremely rich design ecology. This reputation ignites both awe and wonder, irritation and imitation. Such an ecology certainly does not happen overnight, and it’s not easy to give one simple explanation for its success. As for the future of that success: it’s hard to predict what is in store for the coming years, and whether the ecology is strong enough to survive the dark clouds looming on the horizon. With the installment of a right wing government that plans to cut heavily on art and culture, a new uncertainty has been added to the mix at a time when the industry was just recovering from the heavy blows of the credit crisis. Many designers feel like the new government took a saw to the legs under the industry. To truly understand that sentiment, one needs to know about the roots of Dutch Design, it's coming of age, and the ingredients that have kept it healthy and thriving.
Roots
Graphic design emerged in the Netherlands in the early 20th century. Architects like Berlage had always integrated lettering into their design, and extended their assignments to the field of communication. Pioneers Piet Zwart, Gerard Kiljan and Paul Schuitema emancipated the craft and gave graphic design its independent and respected status.
It is a common practice to draw parallels between a nations culture and its cultural aesthetics
From the start, there has never been one particular style to Dutch Design. When you try to capture the origins of any type of national phenomenon, it is a common practice to draw a parallel between a nations culture and its cultural esthetics. The danger is that you over-simplify. Brazil is perceived as a country of carnival, flip-flops and happy people, so they must make colorful, festive designs. The Dutch, on the other side of the spectrum, are no-nonsense and no-frills, and therefore must make modernist, no-fuss designs. On the surface such parallels make sense, but looking closer you will find more exceptions to the rule than confirmations of it. Within the ecology of Dutch Design, there are many micro-ecologies with their own vision, rules and esthetics. They can exist alongside each other succesfully.
Everything comes down to type
There are some things that these micro-ecologies have in common. For instance, the classical typographic way of working is never out of style in Holland. It continues to evolve and grow in many surprising ways. What Berlage meant for Piet Zwart, Gerrit Noordzij means for a new generation of type designers. The Royal Academy of Arts offers the master ‘Type & Media’: where a generation of teachers, inspired by their own teacher Gerrit Noordzij, pass on their knowledge of form and craft to a new generation that works with new media.
Strange attractors, a Rotterdam-New York based 2-man studio, recreate, play, sample and transform type to form the ultimate expression for each assignment. Amsterdam based agency Thonik takes a functional approach and prefers to stick to one font for all their clients: the Avenir. Expressionist or functionalist: the typographical approach, and the ordering of information, is the foundation from which everything is built. But what is built upon this foundation, varies as widely as day and night.
The role of the client
Another common characteristic of Dutch design is more often observed by outsiders than insiders: the fact that designers have such unknown freedom within the limitations of assignments. A freedom for the interpretation of the assignment, as well as freedom for the designer to assert his own views. Some would like you to think that Dutch designers manage to educate their clients in their own favor. But the freedom is not just taken by the designer, it is given by the client in equal measure. The role of the client in the Netherlands has had a huge impact on the development of Dutch Design.
The client that set the standard for this role was the Dutch Government. Realizing the power of design, it commissioned designers to design its visual identities, to clarify information and to enhance the experience of public space. National Railway gave Gert Dumbar the space to paint all the trains yellow, Ootje Oxenaar designed remarkable brightly colored bills for the National Bank. Thus, the government promoted a particular kind of highly successful and highly visible branding. The work that resulted from this co-operation promoted the role of the client just as much as that of the designer.
Government, culture and business form the circle of life of Dutch Design
The government also plays an indirect role for design. The Netherlands have a tradition of investing heavily in art and culture, being scientifically proven as one of the key factors in the happiness of its citizens. The arts and culture sector that are a result of these investments have been a significant commissioner of design over the past 50 years. With the current installment this autumn of a right wing government that plans to cut heavily on art and culture, this source of assignments will shrink, if not disappear all together.
But its not just government or culture that keep the engine of design running: above all, it’s businesses and brands. Companies like Randstad, Phillips, HEMA and GStar play a huge role in embedding design into their way of working, their products, their communication and therefore into everyday life. With this role, business closes the circle of life of dutch design.
Competition
But what about the designers themselves? In the past ten years, the design scene has grown in quantity as well as quality, making it an extremely competitive environment. In the 1960's, Holland could boast of only a few design agencies. In 50 years the industry has grown to represent almost one percent of the Dutch bruto national product. Numbers on the development during the economic crisis have not been published yet, so we can only speculate on its effects.
In 50 years the industry has grown to represent almost one percent of the Dutch bruto national product.
What is clear, is that the pool of assignments has shrunk. And with a smaller pool to fish from, competition has grown. Design is so embedded in Dutch society, that simply making things look good has become a commodity. As a designer, it's becoming harder to stand out from the crowd. Competition is further fueled by the unstoppable trend of pitching on all levels of assignments. And competition is not only coming from the designer next door: the international success of Dutch Design has not only brought Dutch design to the world, but it has also drawn the world to Dutch design. With international designers studying and working in the Netherlands, even more talent is added into the mix.
Brotherhood
Despite the competitive circumstances, the Dutch design scene is characterized by a remarkable solidarity and friendliness. Designers affectionately call each other conculega’s (a word made up of the words competitor and colleague). There is an enormous amount of activities involving design, in museums, theaters, workshops, fairs and galleries. Designers act as curator, entrepreneur, author and design-ambassador. This said, it is a fact that in Holland the emphasis is on developing work in practice. Not a lot of effort is being put into theoretical side of the field. Dutch art academies work one level below universities. Design journalism, criticism and research that evolve around other fields like art and literature, are almost non-existent. Design magazine Items has lived a marginal existence for years, and continues to struggle with a very small base of readers. The installment of Timo de Rijk as Professor of Design Cultures at the VU University in Amsterdam is a promising start.
On the business side, we’ve fared better. The BNO (Association of Dutch Designers) was founded for and by designers, to establish rules and regulations for the sector and to promote its interests. Founded in 1904 with 23 members, it has grown steadily to represent 2600 individual members, students and over 200 agencies. The BNO organizes fairs and trade-missions in Europe and Asia. Many dutch designers work or teach abroad, speak at or attend international conferences, or participate in exhibitions.
A nation of merchants
The Dutch have always been a nation of merchants, traveling far and wide, and at least in this respect you might draw a careful line between design and the nations history. Wherever there is an international design event, you can be sure to meet a Dutch designer there. Over a beer, you will have a chance to ask him or her for the reasons behind the success of Dutch Design. Probably they will tell you that design is ‘in the water’: it’s everywhere, we live, drink and breath it. Ask the government representative, and he or she would probably say it’s the result of a long evolution of economic investment and promotion. If you encounter a Dutch brand manager, he or she would say that design is an invaluable factor to their business.
"When you are riding your bike, and there is a strong wind pushing you back, you just have to peddle harder." - former Prime-Minister Jan Peter Balkenende
Above all reasons why it is a success, it is even more important to keep it a success: the Dutch should not take their reputation for granted and rest on their laurels. The current economic climate will be sure to keep everyone on their toes. All parties will need to step up to the plate and work hard to maintain their precious design ecology. Opposition parties will need to find relevant argumentation to oppose the dramatic reforms. Business needs to take its responsibility and not abuse the weakened negotiating position of the designer. As for designers themselves, now more than ever is the time to prove our relevance to all sectors of society. With the current populist wave sweeping across Holland, this will not be an easy ride. But, as former prime-minister Jan Peter Balkenende said, “When you are riding your bike, and there is a strong wind pushing you back, you just have to peddle harder.”
Anne Miltenburg