Introducing: Daniël Maarleveld

Tell us a bit about yourself… What's your story?

I am a graphic designer, animator, and coder based in Amsterdam, with a strong interest in generative design and kinetic typography. I have been researching the visual output of machines and algorithms for years. This fascination was born out of a wish to escape design dogmas. The tight logic and rules of algorithms give me the freedom to discover new visual handwriting.

How did you get into kinetic typography?

I have always had a great interest in typography since an early age. Since graduating in 2007 with the PenJet project, an ordinary printer that shows the underlying logic of a desktop printer by attaching a pen, I discovered the joy of having a generative approach to type. Over the years, this generic approach slowly shifted to animation, as a generative approach lends itself quite well to animate the difference between parameters.

Your process involves using coding to animate your designs. How did you develop this technique?

I didn’t always use code. I started out hacking or misusing software to reveal its underlying logic. This made me discover a lot of mathematical principles that are intertwined in my work today. I always try to think about how an algorithm can be used. This gave me a database of methods I can use. Lately, I am also really addicted to Cavalry, a 2D motion software that lets you combine the power of generative design with the easing and control of animation software.

You have an incredibly curious, solution-focused mind that means you’re always searching for innovative design/tech to elevate standard type design - where does this curiosity come from, and could you give us some examples of where this curiosity has led you project-wise?

I think I am just curious and like a good challenge. I ask myself a lot of questions about what is possible with typography. When I come up with an idea, I can't wait to see and test it. Trying out an idea allows me to see its possibilities, which usually generates new ideas and challenges. For instance, the other day, a client approached me asking if I could generate 1000 unique gif animations for the first early adopters of a domain launch. I got so excited by the challenge of solving this puzzle! Sometimes, work I've made ends up on agency mood boards, and, in the end, I get hired to do the job since people don't know how it's made, because it makes use of new techniques I developed.

What role do you think typography and motion design play in brand building and brand expression?

Lately, there is a big shift from print to screens design-wise, giving a lot of new possibilities to utilise type. "Motion-first" projects are becoming more common, and motion is recognised as a tool to give personality to a project. Unique motion and design can really make a project stand out.

Which of your projects do you think shows the most effective use of typography/motion and why?

I think probably the animated typeface I made for Crafts Academy. The movement of the typeface seems simple and complex at the same time, making you look at it for a long time, trying to figure out what you are looking at

To what extent do you think your work is about the process, as opposed to the outcome?

I sometimes see myself more as a tool builder, where I try to figure out the limits of what a flexible identity system can be. I first build a rigid system, and when I define the rules and constraints, I love to play with the new possibilities this tool gives me. One example is the identity for the Soundbar Doka in Amsterdam, where I made a tool to generate an ever-evolving identity used in social media and projection for the bar.

Does your creativity manifest in any other ways?

I love to cook and play drawing games like exquisite corpse with my two daughters.

You’re based in Amsterdam - what's your favourite thing about where you live?

What I like about Amsterdam is the wide range of cultural offerings: museums, music venues, and festivals, and the cultural diversity in general.

Lastly, any dream clients?

Lately, I was asked to create VJ visuals for a concert, and I enjoyed this very much since it gave me the opportunity to make a lot of new material. But any client that really gives you the artistic freedom and trust to make something out of the box is a dream client in my opinion.

See Daniel's portfolio here.