Work from
is a design agency, based in antwerp. we communicate ideas that are relevant to your design needs.
everything from brand communication, corporate identity to packaging and digital design
a mix of communication goals, the corporate culture, ideas and concepts.
introduction
this book is divided in 3 sections, corporate, creative and rumours. it illustrates the way we work and the breadth of work we produce, together with our clients.
corporate Each project has its own individual story, Some projects we have showcased, have more depth than others in terms of repertoire but we have never lacked the creative ability to do any level of work.
HRD (previously known as the Diamond High Council or Hoge Raad voor Diamant) is an independent non-profit institute serving the international diamond industry since 1973. They asked us to recreate their identity to give them more international clout, whilst retaining the heritage of the organisation. Flink redesigned HRD’s visual identity which was applied across all media. Design work included corporate identity, corporate literature, signages, screen graphics and print advertising.
corporate livery Banners and signages were also created to promote HRD’s presence here in Antwerp.
identity Starting with the ‘star’ symbol, Flink helped develop HRD‘s internal communications identity, differentiating business activities. The brandbook and template system we produced helped create a clear structure to its organisation.
limited edition booklet A limited edition booklet was created to mark Antwerp’s illustrious diamond heritage for the past 600 years at HRD’s relaunch. Timeless and elegant, detail has gone into not just design but the way it looks and feels. We knew the book was a hit when it received a standing ovation at a board presentation.
stills from the movie
flash screensaver
motion graphics Spectacular opening titles were created for the annual Antwerp Diamond Conference whereby the new HRD identity was introduced to the international diamond community. A night to remember with the HRD ‘star’ being born amidst other guest stars.
posters Promotional print posters were also delivered as part of the relaunch campaign. Emphasis was placed on The Passion, The Light and The Rising Star.
leaflets diamond grading chart Basic guides were designed to promote HRD’s services.
A redesign of the HRD Diamond Grading Chart in similar look and feel.
Vinรงotte is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity in the safety, inspections and environmental services sector. We recreated their corporate identity and built a coherent and efficient communication system across their growing range of material.
identity The identity system is flexible and easy-to-use menu of graphic elements used to extend their brand expression. The guidelines manual ensures that all staff, around the world, operate the system accurately and consistently.
corporate brochures Print materials are designed to reflect their work philosophy ‘Peace of Mind’ in a clear and distinctive way. Writing has been pared down to enable technical information to appeal to both insiders and layman.
spread from the corporate brochure
spread from the Vinรงotte Academy brochure
spreads from the Vinรงotte International brochure
website The old Vinรงotte website contained a wealth of information that had to be filtered. Our objective was to reconstruct a user-friendly site, enabling visitors and staff easy access to online material. www.aib-vincotte.com
the chronicle magazine The Chronicle is one of the most successful communication tools between Vinçotte and its customers. Overal content is definitely more ‘human’ and less ‘science’, with the use of real-life everyday illustrations.
Nexus Creative People represents the best of creative management, concepts and business consulting. They initially asked us to develop their website but liked what they saw so much that we ended up redesigning the rest of their identity.
identity We found a way to visualise Nexus Creative People’s abstract philosophy by playing around with the interchangeable design elements. The natural forms were integrated in the rest of the branding, evoking feelings of fluidity and harmony.
Website The NCP website we developed was showcased on some of the best portal sites online. Seamless interactivity with a revolving and news section remains its main attraction. www.nexuscreativepeople.com
Poster To unveil the new identity to NCP’s clients, we thought of an unconventional way to work this into the poster, making it a visual experience. Part of the design unfolds to reveal the entire visual content.
identity vanbreda The Vanbreda Group specialises in insurance brokerage, risk management and employee benefits for international groups. Their reputation for trust and integrity is maintained with a simple and straightforward corporate identity.
corporate brochure vanbreda risk & benefits
The ‘You get...’ concept developed made it a lot easier to understand what Vanbreda is all about. Communication works best when it’s pure and simple.
posters Series of in-house posters designed based on Vanbreda’s core values. Final versions used were images derived from the corporate brochures.
aww AWW is a quality water services provider in Antwerp, supplying a variety of water solutions to both domestic and industrial clients. Flink revamped its corporate identity and reflected the essence of the company with the use of ‘fluid’ logotype.
identity
The fluid concept of the identity gave us room for creative implementation. Visual expression was extended to the brand book, working documents and corporate livery.
duvel Duvel, one of the world’s best known beers is brewed locally in Belgium. People love it for its strong, aromatic flavour. We created a clean visual style to their corporate brochure which was applied to other communication tools.
T-shirts
We also designed ‘Bellerose-inspired’ T-shirts for Duvel.
seriously belgian beer
packaging & limited edition glass
annual report The annual report was created in similar vein as the corporate brochure, with added emphasis on product visibility photographed in different cities.
corporate brochure We initially tried to create a sense of nostalgia by using intricate ornamental touches from old Duvel memorabilia. The printed matter however, was a more toned down version with a good mix of the past and present.
fine arts museums Flink was invited to pitch on creating a new identity for the Flemish Fine Arts organisation. Its primary function was to facilitate and ensure smooth running of the 3 biggest fine arts museums in Belgium. Our research in understanding the cultural psyche helped us to link the diversity in content between the 3 museums. Like always, we worked beyond the brief by pushing the boundaries and created a visual language to communicate the new identity. Unfortunately, due to budget constraint, the pitch was unsuccessful. However, we felt that it was a good case study in highlighting the way we work.
Examples of spreads
Style of proposed visual treatment. Identities created had a versatile feel, which was an important factor for translating brand expression.
Nexus Creative People who organised the “Brel, the right to dream” exhibition, commissioned us to create evocative exhibition graphics and merchandising for a spectacular series of exhibitions on the life of Jacques Brel.
exhibition graphics & merchandising Large-scale exhibition graphics and all the paraphernalia produced had a highly evocative atmosphere. Postcard packaging were made in the form of old-style thematic notebooks to chronicle Brel’s professional and personal life.
landscape architect
Frank Adriaenssens
Frank Adriaenssens is an exclusive garden designer who specialises in sculpting landscapes and creating beautiful green spaces.
identity First design proposals were more upscale, but Frank
preferred a more typographic approach. The brown to green gradient was used to represent the earthiness of what he does.
Frank Adriaenssens landscape architect
european fashion awards Nexus Creative People invited us to pitch on EFA. We took the theme of jeans and worked it to another level. Look created conveyed a clean and fashionable feel. Unfortunately, the project did not go ahead due to a constraint in timing.
megamax The identity we created for Megamax reflected the nature of the company - specialists in heavy-duty lifting. Design work included all promotional material, from stationery to catalogues, vehicle livery and website.
Contemporary and accessible, PARCbooks is a new publisher based in Belgium
Sleepwise advocates good sleep. Design work ranged from corporate identity, marketing and promotional material to store graphics and website.
ATV - Antwerp Television is a regional channel network. Identity had to be simple and memorable.
A series of logos created for a sleep concept group. We came up with names that reflected rest and well-being.
Twenthe produces bedding material. We gave its identity a new twist and applied it to the rest of their packaging, marketing and online material.
U-turn is a reachout organisation that caters to troubled youths. Identity created had to be relevant to their target group.
Altius houses some of the best lawyers in town. We created a clean, sobering style to reflect their work philosophy.
We were approached by The Brain Trust to create a simple and straightforward identity for their group investments.
creative Flink enjoys its numerous collaborations with other designers and imagemakers. We are part of the bigger picture and making inspiring things truly makes our day.
the flink identity Flink which means being good or solid in Dutch is a good way of expressing the kind of work we create. To reflect our ever-changing character, The Flink identity consists of several customised logotypes, shapes and patterns. The spontaneous nature of our identity also allowed us to align better with the different kinds of businesses that our clients are in.
the flink poster We designed the ‘Flink for a change’ poster as part of our new identity relaunch as well as additional information of our new studio location.
the flink paper The Flink Paper is a one-off publication, published to coincide with the new Flink launch. The ‘Flink for a change’ poster came attached with it. ‘Time for a revolution’ is a lot more than a promotional piece of work. The main aim behind the project is to deliver a positive message to some of today’s leading industries and companies. While the articles featured captured a moment in time, the paper serves more as a visual representation and statement of the new creative spirit. Contributors include The Guardian, KesselsKramer, The Designers Republic, D&AD (British Design & Art Direction), Creative Review, etc.
UseAgain is another design initiative developed by Flink. We came up with the idea to put together ‘unused’ or ‘rejected’ artwork from an international host of leading designers and imagemakers. As it was a non-commercial project, we needed help in producing the expensive murals. Fortunately, we had the support of HP Belgium who arranged for the exhibits to be produced by HP dealer and print service provider EuroPlan, on HP DesignJet 5500 large format printers. HP dealer, S&S, provided colour management support.
We then staged an exhibition at the Flink studio - with incredible huge floor to ceiling murals. The UseAgain exhibition has become a permanent feature and is appreciated by many visitors, from both near and far. In fact, the concept was so successful that the idea has been replicated in Malaysia as UseAgain Asia. Please visit www.useagain-asia.org for more details.
rumours We have included some of the many things said about us in this book so as to paint a true picture of what it means to be Flink.
Flink is one of Antwerp’s hidden gems. Contemporary and inspiring artwork by a talented bunch of designers.
Jan Van Mol/ Ad!dict Creative Lab_Brussels
design & art direction by fanny khoo & tom merckx edited by fanny khoo & vicky haesaert cover image & images pgs 6, 58 and 74 by julia fullerton-batten for getty images use again photography pg 71 by koenraad cant other photography by tom merckx thanks to alex poulson on pg 62 paper by www.arcticpaper.com arctic volume - cover 200 gsm, inside 115 gsm forest stewardship council (fsc) the forest stewardship council (fsc) is an international network to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. arctic paper has been certified with fsc for several products produced at arctic paper munkedals and arctic paper håfreström.
quality printing by www.stockmans.be first published in belgium july 2005 by jean oppalfens all rights reserved. all work featured © flink no part of this publication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which is published.
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2005 all rights reserved