AGI Membership - 1978

Studied at the Amsterdam Graphic College and Rietveld Academy with Wim Crouwel (1955-62). Worked for Ahrend, first as a copywriter, later as their art director. Within Total Design and 2D3D and finally as a freelancer, Ben was a designer/consultant for that firm for 50 years. Last job: creating their in-house museum. He was the first employee of Total Design in 1963, and became a creative director; he left TD after 28 years. He specialized in corporate identity. Major clients: Randstad Employment Agency (1966-97), Furness Logistics Group (1968-94), Belgian General Bank.

At his retrospective exhibition (Breda, 2000), there was a special show of more than 100 logotypes. He won several international prizes (Ljubljana, Stuttgart, Brno, and a World Logotype Award 1998). Honorary member of Dutch Designers Association BNO and Brno Biennale. Ben lectured and taught all over Europe, the US, Israel and Japan.

Eye #59 said: ‘He is a Renaissance man: designer, journalist, copywriter, photographer, studio manager, initiator and chairman of the Nederlands Archief Grafisch Ontwerpers.’ He also now paints and is the author of several books, including this AGI book (together with his wife Elly). His monograph Design of a Lifetime (2000) is available in Dutch and English editions.