Haico Beukers

It is hard to find another designer in the Netherlands who has designed so many postage stamps. And there is certainly no other designer who has been chairman of both the design agencies section and of the individual members section of the professional Association of Dutch Designers (BNO). This episode of Roots is all about Haico Beukers. However, Haico’s story is closely linked to that of Marga Scholma. Marga is not only Haico’s life partner, but also his work colleague. They complement each other perfectly and it is a pleasure to see them together. 

Haico was born in Hoogvliet, near Rotterdam, on 29 March 1960. His parents Henriette and Henk Beukers had both studied at the Academy of Visual Arts and Technical Sciences (now the Willem de Kooning Academy) in Rotterdam. In the 1960s/70s, they had a shared job as editors-in-chief of the arts and crafts magazine Ariadne. This was very progressive at the time and they made the magazine great. They also designed puppets and costumes for television and theatre, the most famous of which were the puppets for the Dutch children’s television series De Fabeltjeskrant. After this period, they produced many publications in the field of handicrafts. Haico’s brother Eelco studied history at the University of Amsterdam and now works as an independent editor for major book productions, including special editions of the Dutch atlas De Bosatlas.

It was no surprise that Haico would later take a creative direction. From 1973 to 1977, he attended IVKO, a Montessori art school in Amsterdam with a strong focus on art subjects. There was also a room with a platen press, where Haico spent a lot of time and discovered the world of graphic techniques. At the age of 17, he entered the Gerrit Rietveld Academie to study graphic design. He first attended the evening classes and later the day classes.

Kees Nieuwenhuijzen was teaching the evening classes at the time. He opened Haico’s eyes to the profession. Through his lessons, Haico discovered that design was more than just styling. He was fascinated by the editorial side of the profession. The inspiring typography lessons of Gerard Unger and the design lessons of the perfectionist Jan Boterman also had a great impact.

Never alone
While still a student, Haico founded the design agency Pluriform with fellow students Allard Boterenbrood and Jeroen Berkhout. Jeroen only stayed for a short time and when Allard decided to travel the world in 1989, Pluriform was dissolved and Haico continued on his own. He did not really like it. His friend Ris van Overeem managed to convince him to join NAP in 1991. NAP was a collaboration between Helen Howard, Ris van Overeem, Xandra van der Swan, Reinoud van Hasselt, Hans Blom and Jean-Paul Mombers. Three years later, Haico decided to continue under the name Studio Haico Beukers with his then employee Kristel Braunius.

In 1993, Haico was invited by Marga Scholma to give a lecture at the Minerva Art Academy in Groningen. It was love at first sight. Later they found that they could also work well together. Beukers Scholma was established in 1997.

In 1998, twins Tijl and Puck were born. Their son Tijl studied law at the University of Amsterdam and is currently doing a Masters in Intellectual Property Law at the VU University Amsterdam. Daughter Puck studied at the Reinwardt Academy and aspired to work in a museum in the field of art, architecture and design. In 2018, Puck died suddenly. It was a tragedy in the lives of Haico, Marga, Tijl and Steve (Puck’s boyfriend), during which they received a lot of support from family, friends, fellow designers and business contacts.

Multidisciplinarity
‘Having a style is like being in jail’, says Anthon Beeke, a viewpoint that appeals to Haico. The name of his former design firm, Pluriform (English: multidisciplinary), perfectly encapsulates his approach to design. He has worked and continues to work for many different clients in the government, service and cultural sectors. Design serves content and this results in very diverse but always very thoughtful and surprising designs.

Twintig jaar Toneelgroep De Appel (Twenty years of Toneelgroep De Appel). Publisher BIS, 1991

Haico’s multidisciplinary approach to design gave Jan Bons, resident designer of the theatre group Toneelgroep De Appel, cause for a nice compliment. In 1991, Haico designed the book that was published to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the theatre group. Jan Bons was very enthusiastic about the design: ‘You can’t tell that there was so little time. Vivid and clear, with different fonts and papers – very Appelian. How did Haico B. manage it? Very clever!’

Peggy Bannenberg – Sieraden/Jewelry/Schmuck. Peggy Bannenberg, 1991.
Best Dutch Book Design, 1991

Very differently styled logos from the mid-1980s.

Subsequent logos.

Crafts and techniques
During his studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Haico’s parents bought a Berthold phototypesetting machine so that they could produce their own publications. It was this machine that further fuelled Haico’s love of typesetting, crafts and techniques. He soon realised that this gave him a huge advantage over other students and Haico wrote a thesis for students and fellow designers on all the ins and outs of phototypesetting. After graduating, Haico managed to get this work published by Studiozetterij Eduard Bos. The booklet was published under the title Op een rij gezet – Een handleiding over fotografisch zetten (In a row – A manual on phototypesetting), with a print run of five thousand copies.
When Frans Spruijt of Drukkerij Mart. Spruijt saw this publication, he approached Haico to create an accessible brochure for his printing company. This became Mart. Spruijt – Zetten en drukken (Mart. Spruijt – Setting and printing). It was an honourable task that he took on together with copywriter Henk Boeke.

The focus on craftsmanship and technique has always remained. In Haico’s own words: ‘We value typography and perfect typesetting, as well as precise paper choices. We have a lot of knowledge about production techniques and we like to work with skilled production companies, which are unfortunately disappearing more and more.’ 

Op een rij gezet – Een handleiding over fotografisch zetten (In a row – A manual on phototypesetting). Holding Ed Bos, 1987 

Mart. Spruijt – Zetten en drukken (Mart. Spruijt – Setting and printing). Drukkerij Mart. Spruijt, 1988
ADCN 1988 nomination 

Work consultation at the Port of Rotterdam Authority for the book The Port of Rotterdam – World between City and Sea. Written by Marinke Steenhuis, published by Marcel Witvoet (seen from behind at the bottom right of the photo) of nai010 publishers. In the centre Marinke Steenhuis and Haico, 2015.

Working with others
Good design is not something you create alone. Haico has been fortunate to work with many great people. Not only clients, but also writers, photographers and production companies. Often the collaboration is long-term and on a friendly basis. These include photographers Erik and Petra Hesmerg, with whom he has produced many books on art and design. He works intensively with Marinke Steenhuis and Paul Meurs on publications on urban planning and architecture, and with Matthijs Dicke of Stad en Bedrijf on publications on history and culture. PTT/PostNL has been a valued client for decades, first with Henk Gilhuis, Paul Hefting, Ada Lopes Cardozo, Julius Vermeulen, Marie Hélène Cornips, Ferdi Sieben and now with Sacha van Hoorn. 

There are also long-standing relationships with nai010 publishers, Thoth Publishers and museums such as the Anne Frank House, De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam and the Japan Museum SieboldHuis.

Haico says that the production companies should also be mentioned. There have been great collaborations with Mart. Spruijt, Spinhex and Zwaan Printmedia, companies that unfortunately no longer exist. And bookbinders such as Patist, Abbringh, Van Mierlo and Van Waarden. This publication was printed by NPN Drukkers, another passionate company that goes to great lengths to achieve a perfect product. Once again, master lithographer Marc Gijzen did the lithography, as he does for many of Beukers Scholma’s works.  

Beyond the Dikes – How the Dutch Work with Water. nai010 publishers, 2017
Best Dutch Book Design, 2017 

Schiphol – Groundbreaking airport design 1967–1975. nai010 publishers, 2019
DAM Architectural Book Award, 2019 

In a quarter of a century we have produced almost twenty books with Beukers Scholma. We follow a fixed pattern in which the content connects us as authors with Haico as designer. The unveiling of the book design, in which Haico unfolds his designs very precisely, is always a special moment.
Rarely have we received a design proposal that was not immediately 100% in line with what we subconsciously had in mind. Haico enhances the content, adds an independent layer and brings order, rhythm and poetry. The detail speaks of his love for the craft of bookmaking, with care for lithography, paper, printing technique and the occasional (dosed) special effect. It is a collaboration based on total trust.
Marinke Steenhuis and Paul Meurs – SteenhuisMeurs, Cultural history and area development

 On a smaller scale
Haico’s first stamp design was commissioned by Charles Jongejans of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. He combined the numeral stamps that Wim Crouwel and Willem Sandberg had designed for the PTT in 1974. During his traineeship, Haico showed the stamps to Crouwel, who was enthusiastic and advised him to send a sheet to Sandberg. Sandberg replied with a letter containing the following sentence: ‘I would like to talk to you about this matter.’ That was a bit of a shock. Was Sandberg not amused by the joke? After being invited to Sandberg’s home, the animated conversation made it clear that the situation had turned out to be much better than expected. It was his daughter, Puck, who discovered Haico’s letter to Sandberg and the stamp design thirty-seven years later during her apprenticeship at the Stedelijk Museum and proudly sent her father an app. She then worked under Carolien Glazenburg in the Sandberg archive. 

Although Haico often worked with Paul Hefting of the PTT’s Aesthetic Design Department, it never came to a stamp commission. Haico kept pushing Hefting, but he felt he had no reason to complain because he was getting lots of work from PTT. When he left PTT, Hefting gave Haico his first commission to design a stamp on the theme of the Mesdag Museum Panorama. This was followed by many more stamp commissions. So far, he has designed fifteen stamps/series.

Panorama Mesdag. PTT Post, 1995 / Split stamps KPN TNT Post Groep (series of two). PTT Post, 1998 / Ship models from the Maritime Museum Rotterdam (series of six). PostNL, 2015 / Boundless Netherlands – Japan (series of six). PostNL, 2014. 2015 European Design Awards, silver / 220 years of postal service (series of two). PostNL, 2019 / For every moment (series of six). PostNL, 2020 / 50-350g. PostNL, 2024

In recent years, Haico has designed an impressive series of stamps for PostNL, with a wide variety of themes, occasions and important milestones for the postal service. His result-oriented approach always ensures strong, versatile and high-quality designs, regardless of the subject matter. Haico is not only a talented designer but also a reliable partner. His expertise and pleasant personality make him a pleasure to work with. 
Ideally, I would have liked to involve Marga as well, but I knew that was not the intention for this series of publications. 
Sacha van Hoorn – Product Manager at PostNL 

Editorial design
Throughout his now long career, editorial design has always been central to Haico. It is obvious when you look at everything he has designed. There is a strong focus on content. Haico likes to quote his above-mentioned teacher Kees Nieuwenhuijzen, who has meant a lot to him: ‘As far as I am concerned, the graphic design course is not aimed at solving specific graphic problems – prescriptions are not provided – but is aimed at developing one’s own way of thinking and reacting in order to achieve design.’

In 2013, we published the book 30 jaar 010, 1983–2013 (30 years of 010, 1983–2013). For this retrospective, we asked thirty designers who have contributed to many of our publications to choose their favourite 010 book, a book they had designed themselves. Haico chose the book Deliciously Decadent – Tableware of the 20th and 21st centuries (2004). His explanation reveals his approach and working method: always looking for a distinctive, content-driven form in which usability and clarity are at least equally important. The content of Deliciously Decadent allowed him to create a structure with alternating blocks of images and text. In keeping with the subject, he added atmosphere to the book by using different types of paper and printing in gold and silver. The book was voted one of the Best Dutch Book Designs the same year.
Haico also excels in books for the long term, as evidenced by the jubilee book Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia 1855–1990 (1992) and From neo-renaissance to post-modernism – A hundred and twenty-five years of Dutch interiors 1870–1995 (1996). Hefty books, carefully produced.
Hans Oldewarris – former director/owner of 010 Publishers 

Deliciously Decadent – Tableware of the 20th and 21st centuries. 010 Publishers, 2004
Best Dutch Book Design, 2004

Genootschap Architectura et Amicitia 1855–1990. 010 Publishers, 1992 

What else?
Haico has always wanted to do more than just graphic design. For example, he sat on the editorial board of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie’s school paper, called Gerrit, and together with Lex Reitsma he designed the Gerrit Rietveld Academie Exam Book in 1982. In his second year at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, he already became a member of the then GVN (Dutch Graphic Designers), one of the predecessors of today’s BNO (Association of Dutch Designers). From the outset, he was an active participant in meetings and gatherings. He was chairman of the BNO’s design agencies section (1992–1994) and of the individual members section (1994–1997). And, to be fair, the latter suited him better than the former. He was also a long-standing member of the BNO’s supervisory board. He was chairman of AGA LAB, a workshop, makerspace and laboratory in the field of techniques, materials and images. He is currently chairman of the SRO (Foundation for Legal Aid for Designers). 

He has held several teaching positions. For many years, he taught at the Academy of Visual Arts Arnhem, the HKU University of the Arts and the Royal Academy of Art The Hague. Haico has also been a guest lecturer at the Minerva Art Academy in Groningen and in Industrial Design Engineering at the TU Delft. He has also served as a jury member for design and architecture awards. 

A passion for architecture and urban development
Haico was interested in architecture and urban development and was therefore keen to receive commissions in this field. In 1988, through the above-mentioned Frans Spruijt, Haico came into contact with Maarten Kloos. Maarten Kloos was the director of Arcam, the architecture centre in Amsterdam. Kloos immediately asked Haico for a major project: Boomtown Amsterdam. He designed a series of exhibitions throughout Amsterdam, a book and a campaign. The close collaboration with Maarten Kloos would last until the latter’s retirement in 2013.

Haico in 1991 with the poster for Arcam, Boomtown Amsterdam. Photo: Reinier Gerritsen 

Arcam exhibition Wegens verbouwing geopend (Open due to refurbishment). This exhibition was entirely set up as a builder’s merchant.  Arcam, 2003. Photo: Wim Ruigrok 

Haico has also done much other work in this field. Corporate identities for architectural firms and, in particular, books with Hans Oldewarris for 010 Publishers and with Marcel Witvoet and Eelco van Welie for nai010 publishers. He designed the house style and communication for KEI, the Knowledge Centre for Urban Renewal in Rotterdam, and for ten years he was a designer and member of the editorial staff of PLAN Amsterdam, a magazine published by the Department of Spatial Planning of the City of Amsterdam, later called the Department of Planning and Sustainability.

Without you noticing, Haico asks many questions. He wants to get to the heart of the matter. He thinks ahead. Once the conversation has been captured in a design sketch, you are surprised. He has mirrored your views and ideas and translated them into images. For the KEI Knowledge Centre, we wanted to show the social side of urban renewal. Haico came up with pastel colours and solid portrait photography. It was slightly disruptive and different from what everyone else was used to. Implicitly, it put our organisation explicitly on the map. His design added a layer of meaning that we could not articulate at the time. 
Esther Agricola – former director of KEI, Knowledge Centre for Urban Renewal, and former director of the Planning and Sustainability Department of the City of Amsterdam 

Art, design and history
Haico has also produced much fine work on these subjects. He worked intensively with the Anne Frank House for almost thirty years. Hub. Hubben wrote about the museum’s pocket books in the 14 June 2001 edition of de Volkskrant: ‘Anne Frank House – A Museum with a Story fits in your inside pocket, costs less than twenty guilders and presents an incredible amount of information and visual material in such an attractive way that you are tempted to buy all the language editions – there are seven of them – at once.’  

Selection from the more than one hundred books on urban planning and architecture produced so far, arranged chronologically. Lectura Cultura, nai010 publishers, NAi Publishers, De Hef Publishers, Lecturis Publishers, Thoth Publishers, WBooks, 1998-2024 

Selection from the nearly two hundred books on art, design and history produced so far, arranged chronologically. Anne Frank Foundation, Japan Museum SieboldHuis, nai010 publishers, NAi Publishers, NEMO, Stad en Bedrijf, TextielMuseum, Anne Marie Trovato, 010 Publishers, Lecturis Publishers, Thoth Publishers, Waanders Publishers, 2004-2024

Together with nai010 publishers, Haico produced beautiful books on the work of Andries Copier, Geert Lap and Caspar Berger, all three with photographs by Erik and Petra Hesmerg. With Stad en Bedrijf, Haico produced books on the Menko family, masterpieces from the Maritime Museum Rotterdam and a book on the history of the Rotterdam Public Library. Since 2015, he has been working with the Japan Museum SieboldHuis, for which he produces campaigns, exhibitions and books.

Art and history shape poetry in everyday life. Haico brings the wonder of these stories to life in his book designs. His designs always start from the content and invite the reader to really look. With a keen eye for detail, clever choice of typography and careful image editing, Haico shapes the various layers of content in his books into a tasteful, simple and structured whole. For example, in Likeness, a publication on the work of visual artist Caspar Berger, he effortlessly combines the art historical context, the creative process and a comprehensive catalogue in one book.
Haico’s book designs continue to surprise and inspire. His love and concentration for making books runs through all his designs and is a valuable contribution to the world of Dutch graphic design.
Laurence Ostyn – Project Manager Art and Design at nai010 publishers 

Caspar Berger – Likeness. nai010 publishers, 2024  

At the press at NPN Drukkers for the book Likeness. From left to right: Michel Schoonen (NPN Drukkers), Marc Gijzen, Haico and Laurence Ostyn.

Awards and nominations
Haico’s work has regularly won awards. For example, his work has been featured eleven times in the Best Dutch Book Designs, for which he also produced the 2016 catalogue. He received a bronze medal in the Schönste Bücher aus aller Welt for the book The Furniture Collection – Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and was the winner in the Corporate Identity category of the Dutch Design Awards for the corporate identity of MVSA Architects. He was particularly honoured by the German Design Award in the category ‘Special Award for Highest Design’ for the self-adhesive stamps 100 for your business. He received a European Design Award for the Boundless Netherlands – Japan stamp series.

This text was written in the year 2024. Haico is 64 years old. Those who know him know that he has not yet finished designing. So, there will be plenty of beautiful work to come.

Haico and Marga in their studio in Haarlem, 2020.

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Haico Beukers
born on 29 March 1960, Hoogvliet

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Author of the original text: Rob Huisman, November 2024
English translation: Better Words Tekst & Vertaling, Ron Rosenbrand
Portrait photo: Aatjan Renders