Wim Crouwel

The few years after he graduated are the foundation stone of what Wim came to be now.

 

      

Wim Crouwel (1928), the Dutch graphic designer legend has an extraordinary journey since he born in typographical family. His father was a block-maker what implants a deep interest of typography in him. As a designer, he draws a luminous path behind his forward steps to a unique example for worldwide designers.

      He studies on academy of fine art what was under the law of art and craft movement. At that time the architecture was the focal point of designing and showing aesthetic. It is also the time when the international style was demonstrated. After Crouwel graduated from college, he had the decision to chose an image for himself and set up an approach for his career future. His career life started when he first worked in an exhibition’s designer team. He learned in small time what he didn’t get from academic education in Fine Art College. Here was the twist of his life and the starting to be one of the effective graphic designers.

 

 

      In 1952 he discovered the glad of design information in aesthetic legible composition while he was first designing a poster for exhibition.  “a face shouldn’t have a meaning in its self, the meaning should be in the content of the text” this saying of Crouwel was a clear influenced by Bauhaus school. He was fascinated in typography and totally against any ornaments or decorative elements believing that it is disturbing to adding them in a design. The influence of structure, grid base, simplicity and innovation concepts of Bauhaus and Swiss style are obviously seen in his designs.

 

 

      He had an effective contribution when the technology of digital typography destroyed the aesthetic of serif typefaces specially Garamond typeface. He really got annoyed and immediately toke the action to create a digital font that achieves his high-quality designs.

      Designer, teacher, curator to museum director and a finder of Total design Studio were brilliant stations in Crouwel's life that give us inspirational vision.

Wim Crouwel Odyssey  in Amesterdam