THONIK
thonik is the Amsterdam based collective of designers, led by Nikki Gonnissen and Thomas Widdershoven. thonik has a distinctive visual voice and has its roots firmly planted in society, willing to actively engage in the dialogue of what is right and what is fair. “We seek to change the world. One design at a time.” thonik states on their web site. They specialise in visual communication, graphic identity, interaction and motion design.
We are proud to welcome one of their designers Simpson Tse on the occasion of Design Is#2 at Generator*.
Describe your work in three words:
Referential. Continuous. Autonomous.
What kind of projects interest you the most?
Our projects focus in the cultural and public sectors, but we tend to not limit ourselves. We enjoyed working with clients and collaborators who have an affinity in modern graphic design.
You have held exhibitions around the word from Europe to Asia. What about Eastern Europe? What kind of expectations do you have for your visit?
We are definitely interested in Eastern Europe, and it would be great to show our work and work on projects in this region. Last year, Nikki gave a flag design workshop at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul. This will be our first time in Sofia and we are very interested to visit contemporary art places, cultural venues as well as grass-root and communal initiatives. In comparison, we are more familiar with Bulgarian contemporary art, namely the work of Nedko Solakov. We have great admiration for how he plays with semiotics and text.
Sofia is currently under rebranding of its visual identity. Can you give us any tips based on your work for the visual identity of Amsterdam?
We would like to learn more about the current situation and context, before making any suggestions. For all projects, we try to learn and understand the message and motivation before designing.
What will be the key focus of your presentation? What essential lessons from your work would you like to transmit to our audience?
The key focus will be about the recent works of thonik, and by juxtaposing different projects in pairs, we hope to show the malleability of graphic design and how it is still relevant in contemporary societal and cultural context.
Simpson Tse from thonik is in Sofia on the 24th of October, Tuesday. More info on his lecture – here.
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Design Is is a series of public meetings with respected design innovators from around the world held at Generator – center of design and innovation, of which we are part and launched this July. The format reveals the various aspects of the discipline and how it supports a better quality of life. Through lectures, exhibitions and workshops, both professional and general public have the opportunity to learn more about important stages of historical evolvement of the discipline, its remarkable revolutionaries, contemporary implementations, bold and imaginative experiments, ethical and sustainable trends, upcoming innovations and more. The format DESIGN IS encourages the creative process and the development of a more meaningful future that we all want to be a part of.
