365+1

‘365 + 1 days' is a publication of Stichting Print and an initiative of Paulina de Nijs and Melle Hammer. 366 Dutch designers, illustrators and typographers made a design for every day

Introduction

Calendar book 365 + 1 days In 2017, 366 Dutch graphic designers, calligraphers, cartoonists, type designers and illustrators worked together with 7 printers, 2 binders, 1 paper supplier and 2 cardboard suppliers on a calendar book. Each designer was given a date of the year for a spread in the book that he/she can fill in as he sees fit. An overview of what is happening in the field of graphic design and illustration in the Netherlands.

Year Duration 2017 3 days

December 15

Jullian Claus and I were asked by Stichting Print to design a page for the date: December 15. On the 15th day of December, way back in 1593, Holland granted the patent for the windmill. As industrial designers, we knew we had to get creative and pay homage to this iconic Dutch invention. I mean, is there anything more quintessentially Dutch than a windmill?

As if fate had a hand in it, on the very day we were scribbling ideas and digging for inspiration, an open day at a nearby windmill just happened to be taking place! We hopped on our bikes and pedaled over for a visit to windmill named Warkense Molen. We were treated to a tour by none other than the miller himself! Talk about serendipity! It was like the windmill gods were smiling down on us. We learned a lot that day and were fuelled with inspiration.

Grondzeiler

The Warkense Molen is a grondzeiler, a two storey smock mill on a single storey base. There is no stage, the sails reaching almost to ground level. The miller can hoist the sails up from the ground. The windmill can be controlled from the ground with the steering wheel.

Designing the page

We were given a fun and challenging task of working with only black and white. We got to sketching and experimenting with different compositions, taking inspirations from design of patents. Jullian, who is a wizard with a pencil, illustrated an awesome exploded view of the Grondzeiler in isometric view. It was a blast to watch him bring the sketches to life.

The book

On a frisky Friday, September 8th, 2017, the book made its grand debut at Pakhuis De Zwijger in Amsterdam. This book was created with nothing but pure altruism in mind and all proceeds go towards organizing exciting projects and activities related to Dutch graphic design and typography for designers, students, and the public.

I really enjoyed working on this project, and it was an absolute honor to be a part of the team with 365 other amazing Dutch designers. It was like a big design party, where we all got to play with typography and graphics to our hearts' content, all for a good cause. It was a win-win situation all around!