Anja Brunt, designer, Holland: an interview

Happy faces by Anja Brunt

Anja Brunt is a graphic designer from Amsterdam.

Somewhere, at some point, I came across her happy faces made from old blankets. I was in awe – lots of people make crafty things out of blankets nowadays, but none as elegant, as simple and as beautiful as these. By now they have been published in several Dutch magazines – such as 101 woonideeen and Flow Magazine.

When I investigated further – and found her graphic design blog, her blog with personal work and later on her 2011 project-blog 365 Faces - I came across a maling box. Only weeks before I had noticed to my surprise that TNT, the current owner of the Dutch Postal Service, had for a change produced something beautiful – a box designed by Anja Brunt, it now turned out.

Mailing box by Anja Brunt for TNT

Anja works in many different mediums but all of her work is light and elegant. I admire her style greatly so I was very happy she agreed to an interview.

How would you describe the work you do?

I am a graphic designer and I also illustrate. After having worked for several design firms for 15 years I now have my own firm. I design corporate identities, books, posters and publicity campaigns. Right now I am working on a commission by Special Arts. Biannually they grant a Special Art Award in a competition for disabled artists. The art by the way will be on show at Soestdijk Palace and at the WoonBeurs later this year.

Logo design for Special Arts by Anja Brunt

What does an average work day look like for you?

My day starts early with a walk in the Vondelpark. Then I get to work. I will work on my own commissions and  occasionally do free lance jobs for other design agencies – the regular design and lay out jobs.

What do you like best about your design work?

First of all I love conceptualisation: to come up with a concept, a great idea, that communicates a customer’s message. This works best when you cooperate closely. Do you need an example? For one commission I had to depict communication and interaction. I had been sketching away, doing lots of drawings of people, but nothing really came to life for me.

At night, relaxing on our couch, I was watching the little miniature doll that sits on a dinosaur at our coffee table. The penny dropped – and the next morning I went to a miniature train store and bought some miniature dolls. I made up scenes and photographed them in different situations.

My second love is typography: I just lOVE letters and fonts. I keep up to date with all of the new designs.  When I design the layout for a book or a magazine I will spend hours and keep working till everything is exactly the way I want it: the spacing, the distance between the lines, the letterheads, the position of the page numbers..

Another thing I am mad about is designing playful type:

Playful type designed by Anja Brunt

More type design by Anja Brunt

And also, I love doing illustrations. I will do them whenever I get a chance.

Where did you learn it all?

I went to the Arnhem Art Academy, now called ArtEZ hogeschool voor de kunsten.

During the first few years we got a lot of general creative subjects, like model drawing, photography, typography (read: drawing letters) and other subjects meant to develop our sense of colour, shape and composition. Plus conceptualisation. That was super! And necessary, in my mind, to get the open mindset you need as a designer. You need to be able to surprise yourself and others.

The final years of the academy are more of a serious preparation for business practice – they will have you illustrate newspaper articles, design the typography for books or design a corporate image. Pretty tough at first, because all of a sudden you have to do applied work. But you need to learn that, too.

Anja’s table for creating her characters

Where do your find inspiration?

In my heart, in my mind, in my youth, in nature, in art and in things I experience.

And then also, in music. When I am tired I play my bass clarinet. Its sound is so low and relaxing, it clears my brain. Most of all I enjoy playing in the Balkan music ensembles I am a member of.

Happy faces by Anja Brunt

When did you start making your textile dolls?

I call them characters (read more about the world of characters here). They are the little creatures I make at the end of the day, when I pick up needle and thread to do my personal work. 

I started making them in 2005, in between jobs. I decided at that point to start creating things for pure joy, and with my own hands. As a designer you are at the computer most of the time. It was easy for me to decide what to make: as a kid I had been very fond of stuffed dolls and animals. Animals are my world.

My very first creation was Binkie. I made him out of one of my partner’s old sports socks. Since he refused to hand over all of his socks I turned to terry cloth next, and kid’s sweaters from the 1960′s – and then blankets.

A Binkie character by Anja Brunt

Nicky Velours, a character by Anja Brunt

Right now I am setting up a production line and a webshop for my characters.

You also have a blog called 365 Faces Project, where throughout 2011 you post a happy face every day. What are your plans with it?

A happy face character by Anja Brunt

I am not sure yet, but is has a lot of potential. I brought buttons, stickers and pictures to the Hip en Handgemaakt fair in Deventer two weeks ago: they all sold out.

Hmmm, a book would be perfect. I am looking for a sponsor!