Hiroyuki Suzuki BA Graphic Design: Magical Musem

Research: Book from the Exhibition

Info from the book:

Thonik, the desire to communicate and visual expression - Bold trials that respect history

Every day we are exposed to a superabundance of information. We spend our lives surrounded by advertisements of all shapes and sizes. We sit in front of the computer, communicate with our friends around the world over the Internet, and we also text each other messages on a small mobile phone screen.

When thinking about the way messages are communicated today and about how this may change in the future, I feel that designers who have stead-fastly continued to carve out their own unique untraveled path exhibit the greatest potential. The most exemplar studio of designers are Thonik represented by Thomas Widdershoven and Nikki Gonnissen who began working as designers in Amsterdam in 1993. Thonik is a signature design studio in the Netherlands that explores the boundaries of experiential visual communication with a focus on graphic design.

Contemporary designs developed in the Netherlands today ooze extraordinary energy. In the case of product design the country is well known for conceptual work represented by studios such as droog. Dutch designers take a hands-on approach and explore the relationship between people and products without fear of experimenting with new materials and structures. Such a bold and adventurous approach can also be seen in architecture, and designers such as OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) and MVRDV illustrate this exploration of possibilities with their work. Of course, the field of graphics is no exception. Starting with the first generation of graphic designers, represented by Piet Zwart (1885 -1977), a pioneer in dutch graphic design, who is well known for his structural designs that exhibit De Stijl (neoplasticism) thinking. This generation is followed by second and third generation of graphic designers, such as W.J.H.B. Sandberg (1897-1984) and a designer who had a hand in the creation of the Netherlands' pavilion for the Osaka EXPO 1970, Wim Crouwel (1928 -). Then come designers such as Anthon Beeke (1940 -) and Thonik. Thonik, who represent the fifth generation of graphic designers, use media in a very stereoscopic way and proactively take on projects that are quite adventurous. Their strategic branding approach and the results they have produced is also highly acclaimed. An example of the kind of work Thonik creates include projects for the art and museum scene such as the development of a new identity for the Centraal Museum in Utrecht (1996 -); graphics for the Museum Night, an event organized annually by museums in Amsterdam (2000 -2006), rebranding of the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen (2006-); and the art direction for the 11th International Architecture Biennale in in Venice (2008). Thonik has also worked on visual communication projects for the public administration and government such as on the development of a completely new identity for the City of Amsterdam (2000) and the electoral campaign for the opposition party in the Netherlands, the Socialist Party (2005-). To develop the new identity for the City of Amsterdam, Thonik systemically organized the logos and designs that were used by 55 different departments and created a common logo, "xxx" and also developed the iconic color, "Amsterdam Red." The Dutch Socialist Party (SP) had used a logo in the past that depicted a tomato flying through the air or splattered in representation of public protest, but for the electoral campaign, Thonik devised a new graphic that reflected the party's slogan, "NU SP" (Now SP) and completely revolutionized the logo. With the new logo the SP successfully gaining 30% more votes. Thonik's designs are both elaborate and audacious, systematic yet liberal, and they also incorporate a sense of humor. They are lucent and free of excess.

The logos and text developed by Thonik seen on posters around the city vividly communicated the message. Thonik's key designers, Thomas and Nikki, describe what they do with the following words: "We don't want to change the message itself. The designer's job is to change the 'way we communicate,' and as a result change how people view things." "We focus on a specific content." "If we start with the right content, we can be as flexible in its execution as we want to be." What is important is to extract the message that needs to be communicated. Thonik has developed great designs true to this belief. First, they pack the key message into a simple graphic. If they decide to use text, they choose short, straightforward representations. For example, for the Public Library of Amsterdam (2006-) Thonik took the name, "Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam" and developed a very vivid logo - "oba." Then, in order to maximize the impact of the graphic, they decide on a system based on which the work developed for each project will be used, and such rules are applied thoroughly. Of course projects also contain an element of "change." The way in which text and messages are simplified to the bare minimum offer on one hand a great degree of freedom, but Thonik also designs elements flexibly in a way that suits the content.

For example, they may decide to use a single type of font for a project. Although the same font may be used over and over again, Thonik adds change by varying the text and color. Although there are rules that apply to the whole, by transforming a part of it in a very dramatic way, they create an "unpredictable expression." The latest project that embodies Thonik's design philosophy is the 25th anniversary campaign for the Spiral / Wacoal Art Center (Tokyo), which will be held for 1 year starting from autumn 2009. Thonik, who has been involved from the planning of the basic concept, has incorporated the existent logo developed by Masayoshi Nakajo, but also designed a new identity for the campaign. The process involved truly reflected their thinking of how "It's not about what kind of design is necessary. It's all about what we want to communicate." and "Simple and clear steps often yield the best outcome." What is note-worthy is that when we were brainstorming about ways in which we could extensively describe the activities of Spiral as an art hub, Thonik focused on the circular metal parts used to keep the Spiral logo in place on the facade.

Although these parts had been there for a long time, not many had really fixated on them before. But by extracting such element and developing it as the key element of the graphics, they succeeded in visually expressing the vitality of the place. Thonik truly exhibited high caliber. The design for the campaign they developed at the same time is also worthy of praise. For example, Thonik combined the font serif, which has a hand-written feel to it, and the extremely contrastive sans-serif font, and laid out rules to introduce the various different worlds developed by creative minds using series of circles that form cloud-like shapes. They created a very organic communication style. Let us talk about the typeface Thonik uses for the designs. The fonts they select are "geometric but not excessively rigid, and also have a handwritten feel." They often use typefaces that have an air of humanity within a contemporary environment.

They are not fastidious about developing an original typeface, rather, thinking about the potential for application they often choose to use widely available fonts. With the Public Library of Amsterdam they used Avenir, and with the SP campaign they chose Helvetica. Their selection of fonts is very interesting. The message should be communicated in the most minimal and simplest way. And the logo should be very clear. With this in mind, Thonik develops a system of graphics that ties the whole project together. When they feel that they need to strictly adhere to the rules, they do, but at the same time, they do not shirk away from change or evolution of the various elements, and they also think about the maximum potential for application. In other words, Thonik designs graphics that offer a platform for the various circumstances that emerge when the designs are created. Thonik digs deeper to try to understand what it means to communicate without forgetting to be ironical in a positive way - by looking at the trend of the times very clear-headedly and by not compromising or accepting the ordinary. The present is a mere instant, a speckle on the long path mankind has traveled, and the function visual communication serves cannot be severed from the desire to "communicate" that mankind has harboured since the beginning of time. Without undervaluing such history or the background of the various projects, Thonik creates new relationships between people, society and text or graphics. The message they have had a hand in developing is communicated to the world through the small logotype etched on the stationary or from the vibrant colors on a poster. Sharp, vivid, and dynamic. Through visual expression and a wide range of related activities Thonik continues to explore the relationship people form with their surroundings.

Noriko Kawakami

Bibliography: