Join the Mailing List

Membership

Graphic Design History from Design Reviewed
Wim Crouwel - Dutch Graphic Designer

Wim Crouwel – Gerrit Noordzij Prize, Uitgeverij De Buitenkant, 2012

Information

‘On the occasion of the The Gerrit Noordzij Prize, Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague published the book on the work of Wim Crouwel (1928). The Prize is given every three years to type designers and typographers for extraordinary contributions to the fields of type design, typography and type education.
The book focuses on Crouwel’s typographic work, and presents in detail his typefaces and process sketches. Crouwel is known for his systematic and ordered approach to design, and book includes transcripts of two of his lectures. The book includes previously published and new contributions by Ben Bos, Tony Brook, Tobias Frere-Jones, Karel Martens and David Quay.’

Details

  • Format: Book
  • Designer/s: Wim Crouwel, David Quay (Book Design)
  • Year: 2012
  • Client/Publisher: De Buitenkant
  • Size: 165mm x 240mm
Willem Hendrik Crouwel was born in 1928 in Groningen, Netherlands. He studied at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Groningen and took evening classes at the Institute of Arts and Crafts, now the Rietveld Academy. His teacher, Charles Jongejans, was trained by notable Dutch designers Paul Schuitema and Gerard Kiljan. In 1952, Crouwel began his design career at Enderberg, designing exhibitions and trade stands, gaining valuable experience. After leaving Enderberg in 1956, he founded a studio with industrial designer Kho Liang Ie, working on various projects across design disciplines, including graphic and exhibition design. Influenced by mid-century Swiss typography, Crouwel explored letterforms and graphic systems, using fonts like Helvetica and Univers. His early clients included the Van Abbe Museum, where he designed catalogues and posters. In 1963, he co-founded the influential design agency Total Design and also started working for the Stedelijk Museum, collaborating with Edy de Wilde until 1986.

Linked Information

Wim Crouwel - Gerrit Noordzij Prize, Uitgeverij De Buitenkant, 2012
Wim Crouwel – Gerrit Noordzij Prize, Uitgeverij De Buitenkant, 2012
On the occasion of the The Gerrit Noordzij Prize, Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague published the book on the work of Wim Crouwel (1928).
Willem Hendrik Crouwel was born in 1928 in Groningen, Netherlands. He studied at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Groningen and took evening classes at the Institute of Arts and Crafts, now the Rietveld Academy. His teacher, Charles Jongejans, was trained by notable Dutch designers Paul Schuitema and Gerard Kiljan. In 1952, Crouwel began his design career at Enderberg, designing exhibitions and trade stands, gaining valuable experience. After leaving Enderberg in 1956, he founded a studio with industrial designer Kho Liang Ie, working on various projects across design disciplines, including graphic and exhibition design. Influenced by mid-century Swiss typography, Crouwel explored letterforms and graphic systems, using fonts like Helvetica and Univers. His early clients included the Van Abbe Museum, where he designed catalogues and posters. In 1963, he co-founded the influential design agency Total Design and also started working for the Stedelijk Museum, collaborating with Edy de Wilde until 1986.
More graphic design artefacts
Graphic Design 96, 1984
From the design archive:

Graphic Design 96, 1984

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Hiroshi Kojitani
  • Year: 1984
View Artefact
Gard Sivik 29, November - December 1962
From the design archive:

Gard Sivik 29, November – December 1962

  • Format: Magazine
  • Year: 1962
View Artefact
Interiors, February 1948. Cover design by Albe Steiner
From the design archive:

Interiors, February 1948

  • Format: Magazine
  • Designer/s: Albe Steiner
  • Year: 1948
View Artefact
Ja! Nein! Yes! No! Swiss Posters for Democracy, Poster Collection 33, 2021
From the design archive:

Ja! Nein! Yes! No! Swiss Posters for Democracy, Poster Collection 33, 2021

  • Format: Book
  • Year: 2021
View Artefact

view more of the graphic design archive

More graphic design history articles
Mark_Bloom_landscape copy
  • Designer Interview

Designers and Books Series – Mark Bloom

Mark Bloom has designs for globally recognised brands, produces some of the finest, most accessible modern typefaces and heads up Mash Creative and CoType Foundry. His type foundry has always been a port of call for our studio's brand projects and he continues to develop these, each with a fantastic print specimen.

Members Content

Heart Anatomy, Function And Diseases, Dell, 1962. Illustrated by George Giusti
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content

George Giusti – Illustrating the Hearts Anatomy, Function, and Diseases

"Heart: Anatomy, Function, and Diseases" (Dell, 1962), by Rudolf Hoffmann and illustrated by George Giusti, demonstrates how illustrations effectively convey complex and emotional topics whilst providing valuable information.

Members Content

Ballet 71, Staatsheater Kassel, 1971. Designed by Karl Oskar Blase
  • Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content

The Poster Designs of Karl Oskar Blase

Blase’s long-term clients were Staatstheater Kassel (Kassel State Theater) and Atlas Films. Karl Oskar Blase produced countless posters for these two organisations. It’s not surprising considering Blase designed posters for the Staatstheater for twelve years between 1966 and 1978. 
Radio Free Berlin, Concert poster designed by Hans Förtsch and Sigrid von Baumgarten C
  • Design Archive Feature

The Publicity of Radio Free Berlin, Text by Franz-Hermann Wills, 1966

The transformation of Radio Free Berlin's publicity from dark and provincial to striking and imaginative. Cultural announcements and radio programs designed by Hans Förtsch, Sigrid von Baumgarten, and Reinhart Braun