Menno Cruijsen, Design director at Lava in Amsterdam, graduated in graphic design at the Utrecht School of the Arts in 2002. He is a strong analytical thinker who turns complex information and behaviour into a clear visual language with the emphasis on typography.

Menno answers our questions on the defining moments in his career starting with his first paid gig as a designer, and his approach to a project. He also gives his two cents on the theme of TYPO Berlin 2016, »Beyond Design«, and explains why the democratization of design will never make professional designers superfluous.

Cruijsen has worked for both commercial and cultural clients, like the Museum of World Cultures in Amsterdam, Museumvereniging, SKOR, ArtEZ, Spoorbeeld, Museum Arnhem, THNK, Fonds Podiumkunsten and many more. His work has been published in various international design publications. Besides his work for Lava, he is a design curator for Lava Lab which is a traveling learning lab mixing strategy, design and technology. He has given inspirational hands-on workshops in Los Angeles, Moscow, Beijing and Amsterdam.

Sorry for the bad image quality at the very beginning!