Encrite Creative Studio

Nominee Henri Winkelman Award 2020

Encrite is a Rotterdam-based creative & production studio founded and run by Elmar Janse (Graphic Design) and Merel Klomp (Lifestyle Transformation Design).

Are you inspired by the same thing? / Two peas in a pod or completely different?

Our shared inspiration is the driving force behind our (self-initiated) projects.
Our predilection for design, nature, travel and aesthetics is a common thread in our work.
As a creative studio, we want to inspire our clients by contributing to a greener future. That’s why we plant trees for each project we realise. We do this in partnership with Trees for All.

Favourite WdKA memory?

We both really liked and made great use of the different stations where the possibilities were endless. Besides that, we enjoyed working on fun projects with fellow students until late in the evening at school. Of course with dinner in between and not to forget, eating pizza with our hero Wilco, the tutor of the Publication Station.

How did your collaboration start?

We got to know each other during an exchange quarter, during collaboration on an advertising project. During that time we also worked together on several self-initiated projects, which revealed our shared interest in aesthetics, nature/outdoors, and film and photography. That’s where it all started.

Are you inseparable or do you work on your own projects as well?

In general, we work together on the projects from Encrite. However, we work on different components during the development of these projects. For example, Elmar often focuses more on the technical part and the execution of films and design; Merel focuses more on the conceptual part and the execution of photography. But in general, we prefer a multidisciplinary approach.
Of course, we also work on our own personal projects. At the beginning of this year, Merel had her own exhibition called Surrounded by Ice. This exhibition focused on the beauty and stress-relieving patterns that nature offers. At the moment Elmar is developing a video series were he combines nature, design & film.

What is the future of your professions in your opinion?

With our creative studio, we create visual worlds in which meaningful stories will be told. For brands and companies, from a sustainable interior brand to a future-proof wind umbrella and everything in between. As young entrepreneurs, we feel responsible to help brands make a positive contribution to the world. We do this by creating high-end campaigns, commercials and branded content. We are convinced that brands can make a difference by influencing our society. Branding is for the long term and, therefore, is future thinking/thinking of the future.

The world is now trying to cope with stress and anxiety caused by COVID 19 pandemic. Everything and everyone seems to undergo radical changes. How does the present situation influence your mindset and your design practice?

Of course, it is a crazy time that brings uncertainty. But we like to focus on the positives sides, we see that brands in our field shift their focus to projects that really matter. In this time it is extra important to take a stand for what you want to tell as a company or brand.

With our creative studio, we help those brands and companies to tell their stories from a branding perspective. In addition, there is more room for us to think about our future plans. So we started to work out some self-initiated projects focussed on future perspectives.

One of the self-initiated projects we did previously is Takk. At Encrite we have a passion for the outdoors and in particular the Nordics. That is why we came up with the idea to create our own brand Takk. With this brand, we want to inspire people to go out and explore.

You never leave your house without…

Our Victorinox pocket knives. A creative multidisciplinary tool in any situation.

Any words of advice to future students?

Remain in touch with your own beliefs and vision. Create a lot and work within or together with other disciplines. This way you can explore what you really like to do and in which area you distinguish. One important note: everything has already been done, but you can always do it in a different way.

Name your favourite recent project.

Auping - Evolve. We have recently created a sustainable TV commercial for the world’s first circular mattress. For this commercial, we used the problem as a canvas for the solution. We created a film by the use of almost 400 discarded mattresses. All these mattresses are painted by hand to tell a meaningful story. This is a commercial that goes beyond just promoting a product.

Your plans and dreams for the future?

Combining the work we make with our passion for nature. We dream of working for more outdoor-related brands and brands that contribute to a better and more sustainable world. And above all, we want to tell meaningful stories with pleasure for the eye.