Koos Jeremiasse, Art Director of the Dutch daily de Volkskrant, speaks exclusively to TK Sajeev, Editorial Director of NewspaperDesign.org, about the creative journey behind their award-winning design.
In an insightful conversation, Jeremiasse reflects on how de Volkskrant secured the prestigious title of World’s Best-Designed Newspaper at the 46th Society for News Design (SND) competition. Notably, this marks the newspaper’s second win, having previously earned the same honour in 2021.
Congratulations on winning the Best Designed Newspaper award! What does this recognition from SND mean to you and your team?
Well, thank you! We are incredibly grateful to receive this award, which we also won in 2021. It’s a wonderful acknowledgment of our daily efforts and serves as a strong encouragement to keep refining our designs. This recognition is truly special.
What, in your view, were the standout elements in de Volkskrant’s design that clinched this top honour?
We use relatively a lot of white space in our newspaper. Even on news pages where you don’t see it as often. While we stick to a strict grid and rules, we still have plenty of room for creative design.
How would you describe the core visual philosophy of de Volkskrant?
De Volkskrant strives for a visual identity that is both contemporary and timeless, featuring a modern, sleek, and often minimalist aesthetic. This design choice highlights the excellence of our journalism.
What role does tradition play versus experimentation in your design process?
Tough question. There’s no master plan. The current design has been an evolutionary process. We occasionally experiment with typography and visual storytelling. And what works well, we keep and reuse. Over the years, there have been several restyling’s that led to the current design.
Is there a particular aesthetic or emotion you want your pages to evoke for readers?
Our news page design prioritizes navigation and hierarchy, acknowledging the modern reader’s limited time. We aim to guide readers effectively, using layout accents to differentiate between main and secondary topics. For daily background stories, featured in a dedicated section in de Volkskrant, we playfully deviate from the grid and increase white space. When appropriate, we also incorporate surprising original visual concepts, such as special photography and illustrations. Our weekend supplements demonstrate an even greater advancement across all these areas. We are in a good mood. A touch of humour and surprises are allowed, if appropriate.
Can you tell us about your design team – how is it structured, and how do you collaborate with editors, photographers, and illustrators?
Designers are organized into daily clusters, focusing on the newspaper and the V section (art, culture, and society). The Studio handles the design of daily and long-term background stories, with a strong emphasis on digital design. From the latter half of the week, a dedicated team of designers is assigned to our weekend supplements.
How do you manage the creative process on tight daily deadlines without compromising quality?
News pages adhere to fixed agreements and a clear grid, facilitating rapid responses. Background stories from the Studio and the production of weekend supplements are prepared and discussed in advance. Collaboration among art directors, photo editors, infographic editors and other team members allows for increased creative expression.
de Volkskrant employs three Art Directors. Jaap Biemans, also known as Coverjunkie, oversees the Magazine. Lucas van Esch is responsible for the V section and the weekend supplements “Sunday” and “Science.” My responsibilities include the front page and news section, the in-depth news and background section “Saturday,” and the website.
Were there any specific innovations or risks taken in the past year that you believe made a difference?
I believe separating the compact news pages from the longer background stories on a daily basis, has significantly improved the newspaper’s structure and rhythm. This change allows us to better guide readers and also to better prepare those longer background stories for both print and online formats.
Can you share an example of a page or project that you feel truly represents the design values of de Volkskrant?
These include the playful pages about the Fatbike and the article on the image of the domestic cat. But also the story about the dark side of health guru Wim Hof (where we had his image sculpted from ice). And certainly also the special supplement with interviews with the last eyewitnesses of World War II.
The first examples demonstrate the cheerful approach, yet sleek and thorough.
The interview-special highlights the contrasts in typography, the use of white space, and the powerful photography that characterize our projects.
How much do reader feedback and usability factor into your design decisions?
We strive to offer a unique atmosphere in both form and content. We don’t want to be interchangeable. Readability will always remain our top priority. So, for example, if we receive many complaints from readers who find text difficult to read on a gray background, we’ll take that into account. But at the same time, we also look for ways to pleasantly stimulate and surprise our minds and eyes.
Do you design differently for print versus digital, or is there a unified visual language?
Digital design takes a different approach, as there are clearly more possibilities online. Think of more images, animations, audio, and video. We employ a “mobile-first” approach with vertical storytelling, using text and images to pull the reader or viewer down the page or screen.
In my opinion, print should increasingly focus on what it is unique in: providing an overview through a smart hierarchy, accentuating with large-scale photography or illustrations, and taking the reader by the hand through a sophisticated rhythm.
De Volkskrant maintains a consistent typographic identity across its online and print editions. While innovative design is employed when a story necessitates it, preserving the brand’s recognizable sender identity is paramount. This consistency is crucial in an environment increasingly saturated with misinformation and AI-generated content, where a trustworthy and familiar source is highly valued.
These are also the biggest challenges that art directors and media makers face in today’s rapidly changing media landscape.
How do you stay inspired and informed about design trends globally?
I enjoy observing design trends on Instagram and drawing inspiration from them. I also like to browse digitally through both print and digital publications around the world.
Are there newspapers or publications (past or present) that have influenced your approach?
There are many. But if I had to highlight a few, they would be The Guardian (I especially love their supplements) and the weekend supplements and digital productions of the New York Times. The work of the Canadian Studio Wyse is also very inspiring.
What advice would you offer to younger art directors and team members on cultivating a team culture of creativity and excellence?
Look closely and draw inspiration from the publications you admire. Don’t copy anything, but try to create your own version/signature. Also, try to get everyone on board with the changes and steps you’re taking as much as possible, and recognize good ideas from other people on your team and organisation.
And keep things cheerful among yourselves. Having dinner or drinks outside of work hours every now and then helps you understand each other better.
What keeps you passionate about news design day after day?
New challenges arise daily. From rapidly changing news requiring design changes, to presentations on multiple platforms.
While news consumption is increasingly moving online, I believe print still holds significant value, especially for in-depth background and research pieces. Weekends, in particular, offer an opportunity for print to thrive as people seek to disconnect from the digital realm. Therefore, creative presentation will be more crucial than ever, using the large and unique canvas of paper to its fullest potential.
