Was design always the plan, or did you find your way here via a detour?

I was always making things. As a kid it was drawing, building with wood, coming up with stuff. In primary school I joined a project where kids got to design a piece of playground equipment. My design actually got built, and that made quite an impression at the time.

After that I was convinced I wanted to study industrial design, just like my dad. Until I figured out pretty quickly that my relationship with maths wasn't going to cooperate.

In secondary school I kept doing creative things: woodworking, drawing, sculpting, even blacksmithing. But afterwards I went for a 'serious' degree first — history. That turned out not to be quite my place either. I tried all sorts of things after that, from art history to interning at an estate agent. It wasn't until a friend introduced me to Communication and Multimedia Design that everything clicked.

A lot of designers build either beautiful things or things that work. How do you think about that distinction?

For me those two aren't really separable. The fact that something looks good is often part of why it works well.

Everyone has their own strengths, sure, but aesthetics, feel and usability influence each other so strongly that it barely makes sense to pull them apart. In the end, people simply experience things that look good as working better.

What's the last design detail that genuinely made you happy?

I've always had a soft spot for playful mascots and illustrations, especially when there's animation involved. To keep it close to home: the identity EDG made for Oiko is something I find really great. Luckily I can say that without it sounding like I'm talking my own book, because I wasn't working here yet when it was made.

I also keep finding myself inspired by the work of Rob and Robin — illustrators and animators who add character and feeling in a way you don't forget easily. It's not even just the style or the animation itself. It's the ideas behind it: the way different concepts come together in unexpected and playful ways.

AI can now produce a decent first draft of almost anything. What does that change about how you see your craft?

What I mostly notice is that the 'why' is becoming more important.

Ideas used to get stuck on technical limitations, time or budget. Those barriers are disappearing faster and faster. That means a lot more people can actually build what they imagine. The focus shifts from: can this be made? to: is this actually the right idea? Why should it look or work this way?

'Taste is the new core skill' has become a bit of a cliché by now, but somewhere it holds up. Though it's funny that it's often said by people with absolutely no taste.

If you weren't working in design, what would you be doing?

I'd probably be a furniture maker. Something creative either way. Just making things. Maybe a little less digital, a little more with my hands.

Why EDG?

There are just seriously good designers here. There's a lot of attention to quality, but also a lot of playfulness and personality in the work. I think that fits quite well with how I look at design myself. And maybe just as importantly: it's genuinely fun here. People work hard, but laugh at least as much.

Welcome, Pim. We're glad you're here.

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