Anouk de l’Ecluse

 is an independent designer who has become an expert in guiding (undeveloped) stories and developing strong concepts. I believe that every design can reveal a unique story and should reinforce it to achieve the desired goal. With my work, I aim to exceed expectations. This requires extraordinary stories and courageous clients. Together, we can harvest admiration for the power of narratives. 
WORKTABLE OF CONTENTS RESEARCH ABOUTCONTACT


To look is to wait

Caroline Kist

Website design

 Photography is waiting, waiting to see that which is unknow if it will come. Only when Caroline has found it does she know what she was looking for. That takes time. Most of her images hover between coincidence and attribution, between what she sees and what she is looking for.

   But just as the unknown can only emerge from the known, so can freedom of the imagination only really emerge from limitation, from a structure.
This structure sends the looking in a direction that seems to lead outside the image. Seeing by looking, and doubting.

    In the way Caroline talks about her work I wanted the viewer of the website to be able to meander and touch upon the waiting element. When you make a choice it sets something in motion. Elements appear and disappear, similar to what you see in Caroline’s images. So instead of just stumbling into her images, I gave the text a prominent roll to really settle down and tap into a concentrated state of mind. This way the website stacks meaning on top of each other to eventually create space to absorb the idea of ‘to look is to wait’.


Colophon Photography & text
    Caroline Kist

Concept & design
   Anouk de l’Ecluse



carolinekist.nl



    Let’s build a mountain

    Frederike Kijftenbelt

    Website design

     All around the world, scientists are working on new techniques that resolve our inconveniences, repair deficiencies, or simply entertain us. We generate snow when we want to ski on a green Alpine meadow, or we create two identical snowflakes to show that we are capable of something so exceptional. Science and technology as a toolbox for the shapable world.

        In the ongoing 'Let's build a mountain' Frederike explores the limits of the shapable, in which the Rhône glacier is a metaphor for the friction between the human urge to control and the resilient autonomy of nature.  

        With these factors in mind and really knowing how Fredrike goes about her work, I came up with the concept of having all the work displayed in such a way that every part is naturally linked and interweaved. The website then gives you a sense that there is no beginning or end – something Frederike plays with within her work and topics. But looking closer the website does consists of a grid of three columns, linking to every part of the site with gives you a grounded feeling. You never get lost but have room to lose controle.  


    ‘Anouk really listens between the lines and very quickly knows to unravel what you long for.’
    — Frederike Kijftenbelt

    Colophon Photography & text
        Frederike Kijftenbelt

    Concept & design
       Anouk de l’Ecluse



    frederikekijftenbelt.com





      AK/A

      Co-founder Karianne Bueno 

      Brand & website design

      / The world is so much bigger than you think. If you think you understand it, you haven't understood it.

         AK/A is a small-scale platform for conceptual reflection founded by designer Anouk de l'Ecluse and photographer Karianne Bueno. AK/A aims to expose the thinking behind (photographic) work of its participants. With practical assignments and in an open atmosphere, we sharpen insights into the professionals own work. They learn to speak substantively about their work and get inspiration to create new work, or to breathe new life into existing work. AK/A provides inspiration, research strategies, guide selecting and editing of work, advice in ways to present the work and where this migh take place including helping to write (promotional) texts or grant applications. Besides the meetings, every other week we organise a talk/lecture/artist talk/studio visit/tour with professionals who can inspire the group of artists.

          The hunger for opening up the worlds of different artists, to cross intersect all kinds of professions and inspire artists was the start of AK/A in 2023. Their first participants entered the worlds of podcastmakers, writers, philosophers, artists and sociologists, and vise versa. 


      ColophonConcept & design
           Anouk de l’Ecluse 
         

      ak-a.nl


      Bureau Merkwaardig

      Co-founder with Daphne de Vries

      Design studio 

       Between 2008 – 2023 Daphne de Vries and Anouk de l’Ecluse worked together as creative partners at Bureau Merkwaardig. Their clients are primarily in the cultural, educational and scientific fields. They take care of the entire process, from strategy and concept to implementation - in both print as digital use. They specialise in finding the right solution to a variety of communication and design questions. Here is a collection of some of the work they created together.

          As of 2023 Anouk left the partnership to break new ground. Daphne continues the design practice.