thonik is the Amsterdam based collective of designers, led by designers Nikki Gonnissen and Thomas Widdershoven. thonik offers their clients a visual voice that sets apart and differentiates: providing pole position.

thonik has its roots firmly planted in society, willing to actively engage in the dialogue of what is right and what is fair. We seek to change the world. One design at a time. 

We specialize in visual communication, graphic identity, interaction and motion design.

 

 

contact

Grensstraat 47
1091 SW Amsterdam
the Netherlands
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t +31 20 468 3525
studio@thonik.nl

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Route

From Amsterdam Central Station
Take metro 51 (direction Isolatorweg), metro 53 (direction Gaasperplas) or metro 54 (direction Gein) and step off at metro station “Wibautstraat”. From there it is a two minute walk to thonik studio. 

From Amsterdam Amstel Station
Take metro 51, 53 or 54 (direction Centraal Station) and step off at metro station “Wibautstraat”. From there it is a two minute walk to thonik studio.

Parking
You can park your car at ParkBee ‘The Social Hub Amsterdam City’ or on the street in front of our studio.

 

 

team

thonik-team_2019

 

Nikki Gonnissen

creative director

Nikki studied graphic design at the Hogeschool der Kunsten in Utrecht. She co-founded thonik, together with Thomas Widdershoven in 1993. 

Aside from thonik, Nikki is international president of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI). A platform that unites the worlds leading graphic designers in a professional community of common interest and achievement. Nikki is actively involved in the design debate as guest lecturer and design tutor. She is member of BNO, ADCN and AGI.

You will find Nikki’s résumé here.

Thomas Widdershoven

creative director

Thomas studied philosophy, art and graphic design. He co-founded thonik, together with Nikki Gonnissen in 1993. 

Thomas is former creative director of Design Academy Eindhoven. As creative director at the academy, he developed a series of exhibitions in collaboration with the Van Abbemuseum: Broken White (2016), Thing Nothing (2015), Sense Nonsense (2014) and Self Unself (2013). These exhibitions explored and forecasted the next generation of designers and how they position themselves in the always-evolving field of design. 

You will find Thomas’ résumé here.

David Schogt

strategy director

Sven Sörensen

studio manager

Sven (Antwerp) started working at thonik in 2001. His specialties are the general management of the studio and project management.

His favourite thonik is the visual identity we did for oba (the public library in Amsterdam), specifically the tilting of the vowels. It shows how a seemingly simple action, offers multiple design opportunities for one brand name. 

Sanne Braakenburg

office

Sanne (Amsterdam) works at thonik since 2017 as office and PR assistant. Aside from her work at thonik Sanne is a freelance architect. 

“My favorite thonik design is the visual language of the Boijmans Van Beuningen. With just a few lines, a one of a kind style has been created. Very eye-catching!”

Roy Terhorst

designer

Roy (Ulft) started working for thonik in 2012. He is a multidisciplinary designer, specialised in graphic design and motion design.

“My favorite thonik design is the commercial for SP Home Care (2008). An elderly woman undresses herself in protest against the financial cuts in home care decided upon by the Dutch government. Aside from being very effective as image, to me it shows that the old ‘rules’ of a graphic designer doing the graphics, and the copywriter doing text, is history. There are no borders, it is about getting to the core of a subject and give it a radical execution. On the other hand, the rhythm in the 2 letter words in the NU SP poster can only be made by a graphic designer being also a copywriter.

The commercial was nominated for the Ster Gouden Loeki Aller Tijden – Best Dutch commercial of all time (publieksprijs). The commercial immediately led to a political debate and the State Secretary, Jet Bussemaker, had to change her policy.”

Falco van Burg

designer

Falco (Apeldoorn) started working at thonik in 2017 after an internship in 2016. He is a graphic designer who is also interested in finding new ways of graphic design. He has an experimental and exploring attitude. Check out his website here. 

His favourite thonik design is the graphic identity for PSA: “the system behind the identity is nice to play with. The exhibition posters can be very different and even opposite of each other, yet because of the simple and clever identity you still recognise them as PSA”.

Joost Bos

designer

Joost Bos (De Blesse) started working at Thonik in 2018. He is specialized in spotting the unspotted. His quality is graphic design for both print and web.

“One of my favorite thonik projects is a series of flags for the Brazilian Design Biennial 2015. In general I really like the visual language of flags. It is common to design it for a nation, but thonik designed it to represent individuals –“one man – one vote”. The designs correspond with the typical Brazilian architecture of their houses. With this project thonik brings back chaotic information into a clear and bold symbol. A simple flag as a powerful medium to communicate with.”

Sandrine Cheong

designer

Sandrine (Nice) started working at thonik in 2018. She is a graphic designer working in different fields and varying approaches and mediums.

“My favourite thonik design is the identity for SP: through a certain directness, it shows how much words and content are impacting. Design and language empower each other.”

Ryo Sakamoto

designer

Lucas Domingues

designer

Aidan Pinkney

intern

Mona Kerntke

intern

 

 

clients (selection)

Hyundai Premium Stores, Seoul; Urbanism\Architecture Bi-city Biennale, Shenzhen; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam; Holland Festival, Amsterdam; Power Station of Art, Shanghai; VPRO, the Netherlands; Gemeente Amsterdam; de Kunstenbond, the Netherlands; de Appel arts centre, Amsterdam; Nanjing Youth Festival, Nanjing; Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (OBA); Socialistische Partij (SP), the Netherlands; Sonsbeek 10, Arnhem; Yoni, Amsterdam; Venice Architecture Biennale; Marta Herford, Herford; Manifesta Biennale, Genk; NRC Handelsblad, Amsterdam.

 

 

exhibitions (selection)

Why we Design, 2019 at Power Station of Art, Shanghai; I love Seoul, 2016 at Dongdeamun Design Plaza, Seoul; Broken White, 2016 at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; Decorum, 2014 at at Power Station of Art, Shanghai; Self-Unself, 2013 at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; City of Interface, 2013 at Power Station of Art, Shanghai; permanent collection display, 2013 at Centre Pompidou, Paris; thonik Alphabets, 2012 at Sfera, Kyoto; Graphic Happiness in China, 2012 at Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts; Graphic Design Worlds, 2011 at the Triennial Museum, Milan; thonik in/à Paris, 2010 at Galerie Anatome and Instituut Neerlandais, Paris; Llove Hotel, 2010, Tokyo; Woordbeeld, 2010 at Openbare Bibliotheek, Amsterdam; thonik en, 2009 at Spiral Art Centre, Tokyo; thonik: Made in China by You, 2009 at Graphic Design Museum, Breda; thonik in Venice, 2008 at the 11th International Architecture Biennale Venice; Power, 2008 at Power Station of Art, Shanghai; Black and White, 2008 at Openbare Bibliotheek, Amsterdam. 

thonik’s work is also part of several permanent collections like Centre Pompidou, Paris; Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam; Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

 

 

résumé

Please find thonik’s extended résumé here

 

 

jobs and internships

Internships for enrolled design students: An internship usually lasts four months. In the studio we speak English and Dutch. Send your résumé and motivation letter to work@thonik.nl, we try to answer as soon as possible.

 

 

former thonik members

Former employees


Tijl Akkermans, Margot Bakker, Minouk Balster, Lotte Batelaan, Tijs Bonekamp, Hannah Bonjer, Jeroen Breen, Marieke Brommersma, Lennart Bruger, Jeroen Bruijn, Josse de Bruijne, Pascal Brun, Heleen Bulthuis, Eva Carp, Tomson Chan, Chiyue Ding, Ekhine Dominguez Martin, Martijn Engelbregt, Nora Erbil, Floor van Essen, Simon Francois, Rieme Gleijm, Vincente Granger, Eva Grinder, Jean-Albert Heckel, Kumi Hiroi, Ragna Hom, Carolien van Hooijdonk, Jasper Jongeling, Clarine van Karnebeek, Phebe Kemper, Judith Konz, Shira Koopman, Danielle Kusters, Zigmunds Lapsa, Chloe Lee, Gaby Luong, Priscilla Machils, Mirko Mammarella, Katie McGonigal, Magali Meijers, Florian Mewes, John van den Munckhof, Andrea Naepflin, Sven Neitzel, Cathy Noordhuizen, Alex Nijburg, Remco Oude Alink, David de Poel, Femke Prins, Barteld Riemeijer, Sanne Rovers, Thibaud Sabatier, Ben Salesse, João Santos, Scott Savage, Naomi Shibata, Sietske Sips, Milena Spaan, Daan Spangenberg, Simpson Tse, Sanja de Vries, Marianne de Vrijer, Jasmijn van Weenen, Wouter Widdershoven, Marieke Zwartenkot

Former interns


Sacha van Alfen, Sophie Balch, Pablo Berger, Bertalan Bessenyey, Rosalie Blanc, Louise Borinski, Michaela Braun, Enrico Bravi, Jan Buchtela, Antonio Carlos Castro, Clément Catherine, Estelle Christe, Victoria Colding, Mats Cornegoor, Noémie Courtois, Caroline Demuth, Jason Destrait, Paul Dokkum, Noortje van Eekelen, Roger Five, Fanny Fontaine, Martin Foucaut, Hans Geluk, Berenice Glenz, Benjamin Grafmeijer, Jeffrey Grin, Manouk Grootaarts, Laura Gutz, Erik Haberfeld, Chiel Harms, Dave Haverkort, Devi Heller, Enrique Hernandez, Stefan van den Heuvel, Saki Ho, Adrien Jacquemet, Jinhee Kim, Mongeun Kim, Vincent Klein, Jorre Logghe, Isabel de Lucena, Geraldine MacDonald, Louis Mateu, Malika Nanda, Taku Okamoto, Daniel Peter, Erik Peters, Marit de Quaasteniet, Graziana Saccente, Ryo Sakamoto, Laura Savignac, Noah Silver, Maartje Slijpen, Jesse Smits, Linda van Sommeren, Silvio Spina, Ruben Stellingwerf, Suze Swarte, Janine Terlouw, Josselin Tourette, Auke Triesschijn, Marie Valette, Pedro Vallejo Souza, Anastasiia Umpeleva, Nuno Ventura, Floris Versteeg, Michelle Wanzenried, Flora Wierzbicki, Bohye Woo, Jin Young An, Yoram Zeeman, Yasheng Zhang, Young Hui Zhao