Enquiries

For general enquiries contact
hallo@georgeandharrison.nl
+31 407 507 601

For new business enquiries contact
Maarten Stal
newbusiness@georgeandharrison.nl

Careers

We are always on the
lookout for talented people
to join our team

For careers and internships contact
Martijn Maas
careers@georgeandharrison.nl

Location

Halvemaanstraat 38–40
5651 BP Eindhoven / NL

Opening Hours
Mon–Fri, 9:00–17:30

Dutch Design Awards

Rebranding the Netherlands’ most prestigious design prizes

CHALLENGE
Founded in 2003, Dutch Design Awards are the nation’s most prestigious design prizes, recognizing and rewarding design excellence in eight categories. Dutch Design Awards goes further than just awarding the best design, however: it reflects on the current state of the discipline and its contribution to addressing the urgent questions of today. Unfortunately, frequent changes in design over the years had left the Dutch Design Awards without a recognizable brand identity beyond its logo.

CREATION
Asked to create a new visual identity for the awards, we decided to highlight its content-driven dimension, positioning Dutch Design Awards as a serious and notable institution rising above temporary trends. Our design therefore references the classic strengths of Dutch design, especially its graphic character. We introduced an identity based monumental geometric shapes derived from the angles of the original logo. These shapes are dynamic and flexible visual elements that can be applied to a broad range of assets, from wayfinding signs to digital environments. By using bright orange as the main colour, the Dutch identity is playfully highlighted.

IMPACT
The rebranding gives Dutch Design Awards an immediately recognizable character and elevates the perception of the awards to match its competent, prestigious and institutional nature. The basic design elements were successfully adapted across various media, in the award statuette and the awards show itself.

Client

Dutch Design Foundation

Year

2019—2023

Deliverables

  • Art direction
  • Brand design
  • Brand strategy
  • Digital design
  • Editorial design
  • Exhibition design

Photography

  • about.today
  • Britt Roelse
  • Nick Bookelaar
  • Images of nominees and winners provided by Dutch Design Awards

Exhibition Design

  • Daphna Laurens
Dutch graphic design is deservedly famous for its uncompromising, simple and crystal-clear style, as seen here in work by Wim Crouwel and Dick Bruna (Miffy). The Dutch Design Awards brand upholds this directness.
Bold choices in public space are characteristic of the Dutch Design tradition and a great inspiration for the Dutch Design Awards brand.
Corporate clients and the government embrace Dutch Design as part of their identity and legacy. This testament is applied on the Dutch Design Awards brand.

The branding channels the key ingredients of Dutch Design—simplicity, a bold graphic quality and a ‘public’ mission

Maarten Stal, Strategy Director George&Harrison

Unmistakably Dutch

Geometric shapes and the national colour orange pay tribute to the Dutch Design heritage.

Working with George&Harrison is about creating new meaning. That keeps you sharp as a client. For the Dutch Design Awards, their approach resulted in a profound deepening of the brand for each expression

Frederiek Dijkstra, Project Lead Dutch Design Awards 2018—2022

For the physical award itself, we set out to design a statuette that would be instantly recognizable as a 3D interpretation of the visual identity, while being an intriguing object in itself

Martijn Maas, Creative Director George&Harrison

Website

The branding elements make for dramatic digital media.

Digital media

A versatile design system is implemented to uphold design power as well as a compelling look at the work of nominees.

Award Show

For the Awards Show, we designed the certificate awarded to all nominees and winners.

Using a self-built projection mapping tool, we incorporated images of the nominees’ projects within the category animations—serving as a great combination of wayfinder and eyecatcher within the exhibition space

Armand Bakx, Motion Designer George&Harrison
DDA Expo 2023 Photo: Nick Bookelaar - Spatial Design: Daphna Laurens