About me
My story
My name is Iris van der Veen and I am a Graphic Designer living in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. I am ambitious, creative, enthusiastic, eager to learn and independent. No challenge is too big for me. I love designing for all kinds of media, but I especially like photography, filming and editing photos and video’s.
My love for designing
Ever since I can remember, even as a toddler, I’ve been creative. I got my first photo camera when I was 10 and at 12 years old I was handing out magazines I made myself to everyone I knew. Being creative and creating things has always been a big part of my life. Thats why I decided to start studying graphic design, so I can keep creating things to share with the world and even make a living out of it!
My passions
In my spare time I like to draw and paint. I see things in my daily life that inspire me, so I draw them. The other day I watched the anime movie ‘When Marnie was there’ and thought it was so beautiful I just had to draw the main character. I also really like photography, both getting nice shots of nature and getting all dressed up to photoshoot myself. There’s just something about camera’s that has always interested me.
How do I work?
My workflow
My workflow has 5 different processes that help me get the best result. I go from planning and doing lots of research, to brainstorming and sketching, to designing and finally finishing off the final product(s). During this process I will keep close contact with the client to make sure they’re satisfied with the final product(s).
So the first thing I do is analyse the briefing I got from the client and write a debriefing. This helps me set straight what is expected and what needs to be done. Then I plan out all the parts of the process to make sure I will finish the product(s) in time. After that I start doing research about the subject, brand, etc. I try to really dive in there and get as much information as possible, this can help me in the brainstorming process.
When I finished my research I start brainstorming. First I make a mind-map where I write down everything related to the subject and start associating other things from there. I try to make it really big and consider every possibility. Then I make it visual by making a moodboard. I look up pictures of the style/mood I have in mind so I can present that to the client. When I’m happy with my idea and moodboard I will meet with the client to make sure we’re on the same page. If not I will go back to the mind-map and see if there are any other ideas that could work. I make another moodboard, send it over to the client, and if they’re happy with it I will move on to sketching.
So now that I have an idea of what the product(s) should look and feel like, it’s time to start sketching. When sketching I try to get all the cliches out of the way first by just putting them on paper. When those are out of my head the real creativity starts flowing. I try out all kinds of different forms, shapes, styles and colors until I find one I like. Then I will sketch a lot of different variations of that idea and pick out the best 3. Those I will take to the client to check if they like my idea and to see which one they would like me to work out further.
This is the part where I go digital. I take my sketch and work it out in the appropriate program. When required (like when designing a visual identity) I then start working out the products that come with the first design (like a business-card, merchandise or stationary). Finally I will take my design and make mock-ups or full size prints of the product(s) to present to the client. If he has any feedback I will to rework my design.
When de product(s) is/are final it’s time for me to apply the right settings for the purpose. So for example when the product is made to print I will make sure it has the right requirements for the printer. In this last process I will make sure the client has all the files he needs to get the most out of the designs. I will make sure everything is organised and easy to use.
What programs do I use?
My skills
As a Graphic Designer I of course know how to work with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. In my free time I like to make video’s for YouTube, so I taught myself how to edit video’s with Adobe Premiere Pro. I also taught myself how to use Adobe After Effects during my internship, so I could make a video-report with animations instead of making the same old magazine everyone else did. During my study at the Grafisch Lyceum Utrecht I had to design some websites or apps, in order to design them I learned how to use Adobe XD. Then lastly, in order to make this portfolio website I taught myself how to use Elementor in WordPress.
Recurring questions I get
F.A.Q.
Below are some questions I get a lot. Some of them I can’t answer in detail, because it usually depends on the project. If you would like to know more, feel free to contact me and I will gladly answer all your questions!
If you ask me, I can design anything you want. The sky is the limit! But If you would like to know what I’m experienced in: visual identity, stationary, brand merchandise, advertisements (billboards, flyers, folders, etc), websites, apps, magazines, posters, postcards, packaging, signage, and more. Want to check the possibilities? Contact me!
This really depends on the kind of project, difficulty, costs and the time I will spend on it. With me the price is always up for discussion and I’m sure we’ll work something out together!
This depends on the kind of project, difficulty and wether my design offers are good the first time or they need some rework. I always make a schedule at the start of the project which I will of course discuss with the client to make sure we both agree on the set goals.
This of course depends on the kind of project. Usually you will get a zip file with organised folders within. Those folders will contain the design meant for presentation purposes (mock-ups and the original design without print marks) and the design ready for it’s purpose (so print or online) with the right settings applied. When you for instance get a visual identity designed, the folder will also include a style guide with all the right colors, fonts, style elements, etc. It really depends on the product.
