By Cassandra Pizzey / 01-03-2012

Designers Pieke Bergmans, Jólan van der Wiel, Jacob de Baan and Sjoerd Vroonland also partook in the evening, talking about what motivated them to be self-producing designers.

We discussed the book Hands On! earlier on Design.nl and how Dutch designers – both emerging and established – seem to be adventurous, critical and above all, self producing.

Such a designer is Pieke Bergmans who became well-known for her various takes on the Design Virus. From her graduate work, to guerilla-sticker project in Milan and beautiful glass vessels combined with Thonet chairs, she encourages designers to take risks. “I realized Milan design week generated a huge amount of visitors and found an empty gallery in a popular neighbourhood of the city,” says Bergmans of her first venture in Milan. “I took a huge risk as the space had a year-long lease, instead of a week, but it paid off and I have occupied the space for years.”

Another way to take risks as a starting designer is by working together with a large company, such as Moooi. After graduating and starting a business (Vroonland & Vaandrager), Sjoerd Vroonland was approached by the furniture brand about his coat-hanger chair. “Moooi asked if I could develop a series of these chairs, which could then be applied in various situations. It helped me to be more creative and think about my products in new ways.”

Recent graduate Jólan van der Wiel sees himself as a businessman before a designer and came up with a machine which produces his so-called Gravity Stools. While studying at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Van der Wiel took a year out to study economics, broadening his horizon and giving him the knowledge he needed to start a business. “This year has been all about self-promotion,” the young talent says. “It is so important to be proactive, gain much-needed contacts. After that you can get back to tweaking your products and developing new ones.”

A creative who is not only a designer but busies himself with design management and is even a coordinator of the post-graduate industrial design course at the KABK (Royal College of Arts, The Hague) is Jacob de Baan. Working on commission for commercial brands has allowed him to apply knowledge gained in his own work. “That free work can in turn lead to knew discoveries which can be used in new commissions.”

There seemed to be a consensus between the designers that commercialism isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for it can help build your own brand. And a strong brand, a successful designer makes. 

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