Edwin van Gelder knows that the right grid needs the right type

A graduate of Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands, Edwin van Gelder is regarded as one of the most impressive graphic designers of the current crop. In the tradition of Wim Crouwel and Experimental Jetset, the man behind one of the most impressive studios currently working out of the Dutch capital, Mainstudio, is one of the most awarded design innovators of our times. “I prefer to think in systems, more like an architect. When you place type or imagery in a system, it gives the design a rhythm” he says of his simple creative formula. The right grid demands the right type. “In my work, I look for timelessness, something that’s not too trendy. Of course a typeface needs to have good spacing and all the technical details correct. But it also needs some element of the future, of newness, of the time we’re living in” he told to Mr. Porter on his love for the Theinhardt typeface. “It’s based on Grotesk, a classic serif font, but it’s an updated, contemporary and very flexible new take on the classic. I like its overall look and feel – stern yet friendly. It feels very now, very modern. There’s also something architectural about it, it’s got a graphic quality to it, so you can use it to create geometry in a design. It’s not illustrative, not an image itself but it fits really well into grids and systems – which obviously suits the way I work.” Since 2005 Mainstudio creates projects deriving from the intersection of art, architecture and fashion – including publications, digital media, and visual identities. Led by typography, creating a synthesis of form and content each project is characterized by a content driven editorial approach as the studio embeds inventive printing techniques within traditional media, and explores innovative interaction design within its digital media output. Edwin Van Gelder’s imaginative approach to art direction forms the essential foundation of his studio which has been been honored with extensive international awards, including the ‘Best book design worldwide’ (2013), the ‘Best dutch book design’ (2011 and 2012), the ‘Best dutch annual report design’ (2011) and the ‘Art directors club new york’ (2009).