Whenever I work abroad, I’m always asked what makes Dutch Design so good. This is a problematic question, first of all because one could question it’s ‘good-ness’ (what are the criteria that form our ideas of quality?), and second of all, if one assumes that yes, it does represent one of the greatest design scenes in the world, there is not one easy answer to explain success. Countries with design cultures ranging from the embryonic to booming (from Romania, to Russia, to South-Korea) are looking for clues and patterns to create such a success at home. But the Netherlands does not offer a secret formula to be replicated: it’s an ecology where many factors like Dutch history, culture, education, business and government all play their role.
For Do More Good CSK, a Michigan/Colorado based branding agency, I developed a compact 30 minute online talk on Dutch Design. The presentation tries to give novices to the topic an idea of this ecology: Dutch Design 101 presents Hollands background, current developments and possible future directions of design. It shows the holistic approach that is needed to create a successful support system, and the blood, sweat and tears and decades of work that go into it.
Thanks to Joost Roozekrans for his contribution.
8. IT’S AN
INTRICATE
DESIGN
ECOLOGY
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
9. THE NETHERLANDS
FOR DUMMIES*
* 99% of the global population probably
cannot locate The Netherlands on a map...
Should we blame them? Perhaps not.
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DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
10. DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
11. the Netherlands
16.800.000 Dutch people
capital Amsterdam
kingdom that includes
4 carribean islands
37.000km2 / 22.000 sq mi
(4hr drive from top
to bottom)
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
12. Complicated? Only to
the anglophones... We say:
Nederland = the Netherlands
Nederlanders = the Dutch
Nederlands = Dutch
Don’t confuse us...
Deutschland = Germany
Deutsche = the Germans
Deutsch = German
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
13. Test your knowledge: famous Dutch people
Doutzen Kroes (model)
Peter Stuyvesant (regent of NY)
Anne Frank (holocaust victim)
Rem Koolhaas (architect)
Anton Corbijn (photographer)
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
Armin van Buuren (dj)
Johan Cruijf (soccer player)
Melisandre (the red witch)
Freddy Heineken (brewer)
Jantje Brinkers
15. Rembrandt,
the anatomy classes
of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp,
Amsterdam 1632
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THE NETHERLANDS HAS A RICH VISUAL HISTORY...
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
16. Vincent van Gogh,
the starry night,
1889
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THE NETHERLANDS HAS A RICH VISUAL HISTORY...
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
17. Piet Mondriaan,
Broadway Boogie
Woogie, 1943
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THE NETHERLANDS HAS A RICH VISUAL HISTORY...
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
18. ...AND A LIBERAL AND TOLERANT TRADITION THAT PROMOTES A FREE SPIRIT
Free spirits
are good for design.
Baruch Spinoza,
Dutch/Portuguese
philosopher,
1632-1677
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DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
20. Gay Pride Amsterdam
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
21. The Gross National
Income per capita is
$48.460 (US $50.000).
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THE NETHERLANDS IS RELATIVELY WEALTHY
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
22. The Dutch
have designed
their own
country
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IT’S ALSO EXTREMELY SMALL,
THEREFORE THE DUTCH HAVE TO BE CREATIVE
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
23. Dutch dredging
company Van Oord is
responsible for the
creation of the palm
island structure in
Dubai.
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...WHICH THEY HAVE TURNED INTO AN EXPERTISE
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
24. In the 17-18th
century, the Dutch VOC
was the largest trader
of Asia, and the first
company in history to
issue stock/shares.
WITHOUT NATURAL RESOURCES OF THEIR OWN,
THE DUTCH MAKE MONEY THROUGH TRADE & SERVICES...
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
25. TU Delft
Luna solar
powered
vehicle
AS WELL AS THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
—AND MORE RECENTLY, THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
26. ...commissioning
designers and
architects to design
their products
and services
THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT HISTORICALLY PLAYED A
LARGE ROLE IN PROMOTING DESIGN
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
27. DESIGN THAT IS USED BY EVERYONE...
Ootje Oxenaar, 1980’s
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
28. AND SEEN BY EVERYONE...
Studio Dumbar, National
Police brand identity
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
29. COMPANIES ASK DESIGNERS TO CREATE SOMETHING DIFFERENT,
SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL NOTICE
Image: Studio Smack
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
30. Victor & Rolf,
Dutch fashion
designers, created
an upside-down
flagship store
SOMETHING THAT STANDS OUT FROM THE CROWD
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
31. Classic invaluable
Rietveld chairs
burnt by designer
Martin Baas,
making pieces even
more unique
DUTCH DESIGNERS LOVE TO DEFY THE STATUS QUO
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
32. AND ‘ONE-UP’ EACH OTHER,
EVERY CHANCE THEY GET
Gert Dumbar, Gitanes tobacco Anton Beeke, Globe Theatre
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
33. ACTIVISM EVOLVED INTO SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT
Christien Meindertsma
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
34. DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
> youtube
35. Jurgen Bey
created chair
shaped bags —
attached to a
vacuum cleaner,
they fill it
with dust.
THEY COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS, FROM THE SILLY...
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
36. The ‘biggen
bodywarmer’ keeps
piglets temperatures
up and increases
their survival rate
in modern
barns
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
...TO THE CUTE...
37. Daan Roosegaarde’s
‘smog vacuum
cleaner’ for Beijing
...TO THE ‘IT’S SO CRAZY IT JUST MIGHT WORK’ CATEGORY
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
38. FROM ACTIVISTS TO HIPPIES WITH A BUSINESS PLAN
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
> youtube
39. FAIRPHONE: THE WORLDS FIRST OPEN AND FAIR PHONE
Help them
make yours!
www.fairphone.com
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
40. FAIRPHONE: THE WORLDS FIRST OPEN AND FAIR PHONE
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
> youtube
41. THE ECOLOGY
EVOLVES AND
YET REMAINS
THE SAME
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DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk
42. 1632 scene set
at De Waag
Fablab: 3d printing,
bio-hacking, ...
De Waag today
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org
43. Iris van Herpen, 2011
Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt,
1600s
DO MORE GOOD CSK — Dutch Design 101 Remote Talk @Designistan_org