‘Dutch design’ is a movement known all around the world. But what does that even mean? Well, our designs are characterised as being minimalist, experimental, innovative and a bit quirky.
‘Dutch design’ is a movement known all around the world. You even have some Japanese and Italian designers calling themselves ‘Dutch’. But what does that even mean? Well, our designs are characterised as being minimalist, experimental, innovative and a bit quirky. And when you look at the average Dutchie, it’s easy to lead them back to our own personalities. Remember the everlasting fight against the water trying to swallow our tiny country? We had to be innovative and experimental to fix this. You can even say that these ‘water engineers’ were the very first Dutch designers. As for the other characteristics, the Dutch are considered very down-to-earth which translates into our love for minimalistic design. And we’re also very tolerant and open-minded which makes our designs a bit quirky, humoristic and not afraid to colour outside the lines.
While designers such as Marcel Wanders, Piet Hein Eek and Hella Jongerius are famous for their furniture and product design, Dutch design is also found in many other areas. Think of Victor & Rolf in fashion. Or Rem Koolhaas and Francine Houben in architecture. Social designer Daan Roosegaarde. What is your favourite piece of Dutch design?
