A Passion for the Real

Jan van Toorn studied graphic design at the Institute of Arts and Crafts [later Gerrit Rietveld Academie] in Amsterdam [1950–1953]. He has been a freelance designer since 1957 and lives and works in Amsterdam. From 1991 until 1998 he was director of the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. His publications include Design Beyond Design: Critical Reflection and the Practice of Visual Communication (ed.) and Design's Delight: Method and Means of a Dialogic Approach. Rick Poynor published a book on his work, Jan van Toorn: Critical Practice, in 2006.