Studio Visit: Ruben Doornweerd

A couple of weeks ago I sent an email to Ruben Doornweerd, who runs a graphic design studio in Amsterdam. I had planned on taking a trip there and would have loved the opportunity to meet Ruben and see his work and studio first. I was in luck as he was available for me to visit his studio while I was in Amsterdam!

Dear Mr. Doornweerd,

I am a third year BA (Hons) Graphic Design student at Leeds College of Art in the UK, and would love the opportunity to visit your studio while I am in Amsterdam next week (14th-17th November).

I am a huge admirer of your work, particularly your typographic design, and would love to see the environment you work in.

Please let me know if you will be available for a visit in those days.

Best regards,

Sarah Butler

Hi Sarah,

I will be in the office on Friday 14th, so you are welcome to come in that morning.

See you then,

RD

So after I flew in on Friday morning, we went to the hotel and then swiftly on to Ruben's studio, only a short walk south out of central Amsterdam.

I knew it was a small studio, but I was surprised at how small it was, consisting of only a few small rooms. However it was wonderfully laid out, featuring large wooden beams across the ceiling. Work was stuck up on the walls and it almost looked like a converted bedroom.

Ruben spoke only briefly about his work, saying that he shouldn't be telling people how to see his work and they should see it in their own way. He spoke about how he is consistently conceptual in his approach to design, which often results in completely unique and purposeful solutions.

I loved his studio, and have started to become really interested in working in a small studio with only a few other people, so I really enjoyed being able to look around and gage how they work on a typical Friday afternoon.

Duke Studios Visit

Today I visited Duke Studios on Duke Street in Leeds, where the people working there were very helpful and informative.

I loved the environment and atmosphere of the work space, it was small, relaxed and casual, and everyone seemed to be very in sync with each other, possible due to the small workforce. The kind of environment would be an ideal workplace for me, working with just a few people with a 'get on with it' attitude. My favourite way to work is putting my head down by myself and just getting it done, which was an ethic reflected in this studio. The focus of the company is to put people before business which automatically makes it a unique and unusual workplace.

I could definitely see myself spending some time working in a place like this after finishing my degree and would be hugely interested in staying in touch with them.