// Hendrik Everaerts / Design Is Dead
// Hendrik Everaerts / Design Is Dead
Hi Hendrik. Thank you for the chance of asking you a few questions. I hope you’re enjoying the nice weather as much as I do. Can you first introduce yourself? For instance, who you are, and what your job is at Design is Dead…
In a nutshell: I am Hendrik Everaerts, I have 38 years on the meter and when I am not enjoying the weather I spend my time at Design is Dead between creative direction and account management.
Design is Dead is one of the few larger design companies that really made a solid name. How long is Design is Dead running by now? Do you still remember the days when it all started?
I founded Design is Dead together with my brother Jan in 1998.The first team consisted of Wim (who left the company a year later) and Stef (who is still with us) and we worked out of my living room. It were hectic times and we worked hard, but we had great fun. One thing I will never forget is our first day: it was May 1st, so went out to break feast
Being a well known company, doesn’t make it easier to approach new customers I think. Clients will probably expect more and most likely expect a serious bill in the end. Is this way of thinking correct?
Clients always expect more, but I think they are entitled to do so. A website is an important image building and communication tool, so it better be the best it can be. As to the bill, I think we have always concentrated on the final result, rather than being obsessed by the budget. So when clients now come to us because they expect more, I think we can take that as a compliment.
Why ‘Design is Dead’ and not ‘Design is Alive’?
We wanted a name that was provocative and made people take notice. Also we effectively believe that “design” has lost the association with “quality” and “innovation” it once had, and has become synonymous with “in” and “trendy”. There is nothing wrong with that, but we try to take things a step further.
Design Is Dead has a large portfolio-list on its home-website. Is the site updated very often? Who’s in charge of that and does this happen in his / her free time?
Updating our own website is a major and recurring problem. Currently we are preparing a new update to add 25 projects to the portfolio, unfortunately the last one dated from September of last year.
If I would be interested in joining the Design Is Dead-team, what should I do?
Try to be as good as you can be in what you like to do most, and contact us.
Do you expect only the best of the best to join, or are the ‘average’ designers welcome too?
We are a small team, which makes every position in the company important. What we look for are people who have their own field of expertise as well as an eye for “the bigger picture”. So being “the best of the best” is not really required, being the right piece in the puzzle is much more important.
Education is an important role in a designers’ life. Does Design Is Dead support these youngsters? For instance offering jobs during holidays for students, training period for design-students (stage), … ?
I think you are right: (continued) education is important and every year we try to provide two or three internships for design students. Furthermore, we partner with the art centre Villanella to support young designers.
Do you also work with freelance designers, or do you have a complete in house-team?
Most of the projects are done in house, but when a project requires specific know-how or the client works with his own designer, we set up a team with other designers and/or developers.
The projects DID works on, can all be labeled as ‘jaw-breaking’ and ‘drool-inducing’. Who’s in charge of all this eye-candy design?
Thank you for the accolades. Our projects really are a team effort and a lot of the time the whole team is involved: Stef, Nicky and Tim on the design end, Ivan and Johan on the developing end. Ideally we like to get as many people as possible involved in the first stages of a project: design is one part of the equation, but there are more issues to be considered: usability, content, development,… and they are all related.
How did you personally made the switch between graduating and finding a job?
I must say that I have been lucky in that regard. After graduating I worked as an intern for Evans Denver in the US.. When I came back I started working for what is now called Sanoma Magazines till I was asked in 1996 to join Endemol Interactive’s Hall of entertainment web project. When that ended I started Design is Dead.
Thank you very much for the time and effort. I hope you enjoyed it, and best of luck with Design is Dead!
The pleasure was all mine. And the best of luck to you to.
Interview conducted with Hendrik / Design is Dead for Vacuum-Magazine (2004). Visit the Design is Dead website at http://www.designisdead.be/