Graphic Design students design a stamp for PostNL’s New Dutch Design series
- Design
Starting February 17, 2025, Dutch mail will carry a touch of ArtEZ creativity. On this date, PostNL is launching the first stamp sheet in its new New Dutch Design series, designed by Graphic Design students from ArtEZ Academy of Art & Design in Zwolle. This unique project gave second-year students the opportunity to showcase their work on a national stage, with the first theme: coffee and tea.
Collaboration between students and curator Nicole Uniquole
The stamps were designed by second-year Graphic Design students in collaboration with curator Nicole Uniquole. This series, which follows the Typically Dutch collection, revolves around the theme of ‘celebration’. The students interpreted this theme by focusing on rituals, starting with the shared moment of drinking coffee and tea. This everyday ritual connects people and has now been artistically translated into six unique stamps.
Symbolism in the design
The New Dutch Design – coffee and tea stamp sheet contains six stamps with two distinct designs. On the left side, a kettle pours water into a glass held by a kneeling figure. On the right, a coffee machine drips coffee into a cup held by a seated figure. The two figures look at each other, emphasizing the sense of connection in the moment. The colors used in the design align with the overall New Dutch Design series palette.
Students leave their mark
The designs were created by Denzel Cahtalina, Jip van der Heijden, Mello Rakel, and Sam Oerlemans, while Chantal Idzerda, Jolijn Bos, and Maureen Ketting were responsible for the grid and typography. Under the guidance of lecturers Marijke Meester and Anje Jager, students experienced a real-world design process, seeing their work transformed into a tangible product that will be distributed across the Netherlands.
A unique educational project
This collaboration with PostNL and Nicole Uniquole demonstrates how ArtEZ students can make an impact while still studying. Their work is not just evaluated within the academy but will soon be traveling across the country. This project is a perfect example of how the Graphic Design program in Zwolle prepares students for a professional design career. This isn’t the first time ArtEZ students have designed a stamp - students from Graphic Design Zwolle also created stamps for PostNL in 2022 and 2023.