Meet Stijn van de Ven!

What made you want to join Edenspiekermann?

I was attracted to Edenspiekermann’s massive ambition to combine the best of all types of agencies. I’d love to be part of a fertile mix of clever concepting, outspoken branding, ninja-level coding and gorgeous design. Maybe some advertising along the way? Who knows. We have very similar ideas on how such a team should work and I was happy to hear there is a role for a designer like me.

What did you do beforehand?

My main job has always been designing identities, from concept to execution to continuation. For a wide range of brands I’ve designed good old things like logo’s, books and magazines ... and the sort of work that is impossible to explain to my parents, like brand manuals, campaign styles, communication concepts and editorial formats.

I did this for the past 8 years at the brand and design agency Dietwee, working for clients of all shapes and sizes – big corporates, small institutes, shiny startups and rusty organizations. You’d find me working for a local concert hall on one day and an international fashion brand on the next. I arrived as an intern and worked my way up to be one of the senior designers. This is also where I met Jonne Kuyt. We made a good team, spending most of our time on the same clients; producing loads of campaigns, identities and strange little assignments.

What are your special skills?

As any graphic designer I’m obsessed with typography and love to tinker on details in layout, grid or color. My favorite approach is to unclutter the whole thing first, until all the fuss is gone, then give it a punch in the gut and a slap in the face.

But besides designing I’ve come to enjoy writing a lot. Not novels or anything, just bits of communication, slogans, one-liners or simply sitting down to find the right way to say something. In advertising they’d call it copywriting I suppose. I think I like it as much as designing by now, and fortunately those go hand in hand. It feels great to shape a rough idea into a clear cut concept, turn lorem ipsum into memorable words or simply type a few lines in a great new typeface I stumbled upon.

What is your responsibility at ESPI Amsterdam?

Simply put; I will assist the creative team in turning great ideas into great designs. By any means. Thinking, designing or writing. For the projects I’m assigned to, obviously, but also behind the scenes on as many as physically possible.

Would you like to mention something about you as a private person?

People often say I talk too much.