Presentation of the TDC Medal by Frank Blokland
Crouwel Studio
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
July 5, 2019

On July 5, 2019, legendary Dutch type designer Wim Crouwel (1928-2019) was awarded the prestigious TDC Medal by the Type Directors Club, recognizing over five decades of accomplishment in creating some of the world’s most influential typefaces.

In this video recorded in Crouwel’s Amsterdam studio, Crouwel speaks about his life’s work and explains how he became known as “Mr. Gridnik.” The video contains many examples of Crouwel’s work, including the stamp series that he designed for the Dutch postal service, PTT/KPN. The video includes tributes by legendary typeface designers and artists and the presentation of the 2019 TDC Medal by Frank Blokland.

Mr. Crouwel is the 32nd recipient of the TDC medal in its 52-year history.

Video created by Strange Attractors Design. Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Typographer, Animator, Researcher: Ryan Pescatore Frisk. Video subtitles and captions are set in Gridnik.

Portions of this video were shown at the Type Director Club’s annual awards ceremony at Cooper Union in New York City on July 17, 2019.

Read more about Wim Crouwel’s legacy here.