23 Questions!

Functional design, strong ideas and a passion for cars! Throw in a bit of international class and you have the makings of a classic A-Lister. Don't believe me? Then I dare you to check Tim out!

What sparked your passion for design?
My father’s passion for cars and my mother’s passion for art sparked my desire to become a car designer. When I found out that most car designers are working on just a small part of the car, I decided that becoming a graphic designer would be more interesting. I still have some of the hand-drawn car brochures I made for my car designs.

How creative were you as a youngster?
I have been drawing before I could talk and I have filled hundreds of sketchbooks. When I arrived in Australia and I opened my moving boxes, I found a few boxes with all my sketchbooks, which my parents kept for over thirty years.

Do you come from a creative family?
I think so. My mother is a very talented tailor and she has always been creative – she knows the special feeling of creating something from scratch. She always encouraged me and my brothers to follow our passions.

Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer?
Very. My parents are still living in the Netherlands and when I talk to them over the phone or the internet they still inform me about what’s happening in the Dutch art and design scene.

What sort of education and training have you had?
I did the Faculty of Arts and Architecture in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where I studied Graphic Design and Advertising. After my study I did courses in Art Direction and Creative Management. Once in a while I will work on some software courses to keep my knowledge up-to-date, a few months ago it was Flash and Dreamweaver.

Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
I graduated in the time that Neville Brody, Max Kisman, Anton Beeke and Emigre were really big, so I wouldn’t have minded working for them. But almost directly after my study I was offered a job that I just couldn’t refuse, so that was that.

Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
It was a high-profile invitation for a large company that had PMS165 as their corporate colour. I thought it was a good idea to use a certain green alongside the orange, but it turned out a bit too psychedelic for the rather conservative Board of Directors. I was told politely to never come up with a design like that again.

What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years? Each software is specially designed for a certain kind of work, but I always enjoy working in Illustrator. To develop a logo or signage and perfect it in Illustrator is always very rewarding. I think the way the different programs start to interact with each other is definitely a good development.

Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
I surely hope not and I also don’t think that will happen. I still enjoy looking at and feeling a perfectly designed brochure, with beautiful print on the perfectly chosen paper. You can never achieve that same experience with digital technology.

Whose work do you really admire and why?
I am always amazed by the timeless graphic design of Saul Bass, Dick Bruna (not only the designer of Miffy!), the timeless furniture of Charles and Ray Eames, the timeless architecture of Richard Neutra, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright. The fact that the things they created are just as vibrant and alluring now as it was then is truly brilliant. For the same reason I also shouldn’t forget the music of four boys from Liverpool.

What have they taught you?
That you should always aim to create something visually sustainable, with the future in mind and always base your work on a strong idea, not just form.

How would you describe your work?
I always aim for functional design, where form is based on content and is clear, topical, noticeable, inviting and appealing. This is achieved without undue embellishment, yet with a strong sense of detail.

What are your plans for the future?
To make Zero21, my recently established graphic design business, a success.

What sort of company would you like to work with next?
Companies with vision who are looking for good design to get their products/services noticed, combined with freelance work for the many high quality design agencies in Melbourne.

What is your opinion of Australian design?
I’m here for almost two years now and I’ve seen a lot of good work by Australian designers and design companies. The fact that Australian design is well recognised outside Australia and that they start winning more prizes already shows that they are at least as good as all the other leading design countries.

What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
I honestly couldn’t think of something bad. I experience Australia as a very inviting, open-minded and multi-faceted country. The design industry is a true reflection of that.

In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future? With the modern technologies design is no longer a local business. Therefore it would be interesting to develop a national design vision based on the awareness of the unique, rich combination of Australia’s different nationalities. That in the future people will talk about Australian Design how they talk about Dutch and British Design at the moment.

What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Searching for good new music and cooking for friends and family.

What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
I am quite impressed by Charcoal Lane on Gertrude Street - really beautifully executed by Studio Round.

What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
www.behance.net – a free multi-media portfolio platform. Check out Muggi Ramadani’s work.
www.whatthefont.com - Perfect site to find out what font is used in a design. Also works really well with the iPhone application.
www.agda.com.au - Perfect site to keep up-to-date to what’s happening in Australia and in particular in Melbourne. Membership is a must for a designer.
www.myspace.com - A good spot to find new bands and listen to some of their songs.
www.rrr.org.au - The best radio station I’ve ever heard and just around the corner. Another membership must.

What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
There are a few at the moment that are in a fierce competition: Françoiz Breut’s_’À l'Aveuglette’, The Orbweavers’ ‘Diamonds & Graphite’ and Kasabian’s ‘The West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum’.

If I was a font, I’d be...? Probably a FF DIN. Timeless and easily blending in with different styles, yet by keeping its own personality. Not coincidentally my corporate font.


Do you need an A-List Artisan like Tim in your studio? Would you like to know more? Contact Mathew NOW!