Kummer & Herrman // BIOGRAPHY

    Kummer & Herrman is a Dutch, Utrecht based, design studio founded in 1998, which exists of a small team of 6 people. We design for a wide range of clients in media as diverse as books, magazines, identities, annual reports, campaigns, exhibitions and websites.

    Dialogue takes a central position in our work. Not only in the design process, but also in the design itself. Our designs originate from the dialogue with the client and aim for an exchange with the audience. They try to challenge to new perspectives, conversations and relations. We believe that a successful design is like a good conversation where image, typography or other means articulate the content. Therefore thoroughness and transparency are important elements in our work, just like a powerful and contemporary visual language.

    This design approach doesn’t mean that our working area is limited to a specific field. Our clients originate from areas as different as business, the arts, government or semi governmental organisations. Their willingness to work together with an open sight, to communicate the message as clear as possible and to initiate a new dialogue is what they share.

    Clients
     Association of Dutch Interior Architects, Amsterdam; Dutch Foundation for Literature, Amsterdam; KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Amstelveen; KPN, The Hague; Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, The Hague; Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Hague; NAi Publishers, Rotterdam; Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, Philadelphia (USA); Springdance Festival, Utrecht; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Foundation The Best Dutch Book Designs, Amsterdam; Royal TNT Post, The Hague; University of Amsterdam; Witte de With, Rotterdam, amongst other.

    Nominations & Awards
    2011: Canon Prize for innovative photojournalism for ‘On the Other Side of the Mountains’ (The Sochi Project);
    2011: Three books selected in Photo Eye’s The Best Books of 2010: ‘Tokyo Tokyo’ (WassinkLundgren),’ELPLFL’ (The Sochi Project) and ‘Playing Borders’ (Anouk Kruithof);
    2010: Awarded with the New York Photo Festival Book Award with Sanatorium, the annual publication by The Sochi Project;
    2010: Awarded twice at the Best Dutch Book Designs with ‘Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor’ (BAK, basis voor actuele kunst Utrecht and Post       Editions) and ‘Air Pressure Paul McCarthy’ (City of Utrecht in collaboration with Utrecht University);
    2009: Nominated by the Best Designed Annual Reports 2008 with the annual report for Witte de With;
    2009: Nominated by PhotoEspaña (ES) with ‘So Blue So Blue’ (Ad van Denderen, Paradox, SteidlMack);
    2009: Nominated by the Art Directors Club Nederland with ‘Deep Screen’ (Stedelijk Museum);
    2009: Awarded at the Best Dutch Book Designs with ‘Once is Nothing’ (BAK, basis voor actuele kunst Utrecht and the Van Abbemuseum);
    2008: Included within ‘2008 Graphic Design Top 50’ with the identity for Witte de Wit, Grafik Magazine (UK);
    2008: Two Red Dot Awards (D) Communication Design for ‘Deep Screen’ (Stedelijk Museum) and ‘Hans Kemna: Catalogue’ (De Hallen);
    2008: ‘Empty Bottles’ (WassinkLundgren) nominated by the 4th ‘Fotofrühling Kassel’ (D);
    2008: Awarded twice by the Best Dutch Book Designs with ‘Berlin_nl’ (KPN) and ‘Rijksakademie Open 2007’ (Rijksakademie);
    2007: ‘Empty Bottles’ (WassinkLundgren) awarded as ‘Best Contemporary Photobook 2006/2007’, Fotofestival Arles (F);
    2007: Selected in the showcase of Best European Design in Print’s European Design Annual 2007, Print Magazine (USA);
    2006: Winner of the Best Designed Annual Reports 2005 with the annual report for the Rijksakademie;
    2006: Nominated by Mediafacts for ‘Best Cover 2005’ with a cover for the Consumentengids;
    2004, 2005 & 2006: Nominated three years in a row for the ‘Theatre Poster Award’ with campaigns for Springdance;
    2004: Nominated for the ‘Theatre Poster Award’ with ‘Marathon’ (DOX); 2002: Second prize for the development of the corporate identity for Phaeno, Science Center in Wolfsburg (D);
    2001: Nominated for the Theatre Poster Award with ‘Lonesome Cowboy’ a series of 8 posters;
    1997: Awarded by the Best Dutch Book Designs with ‘Ode aan het Vondelpark’ (D’Arts and Bas Lubberhuizen Publishers).