Biography
In 2017 Evert Ypma initiated the international laboratory Imagining Science, which explores and develops concepts, projects and solutions at the nexus of design and science.
He has worked as course leader, mentor and researcher in academic design programs focusing on post-photography, image politics, transmedia storytelling and design cultures at various universities: Design2context, Institute for Design Research, Zurich University of the Arts; MA Design Studio and MAS Art Design + Innovation, University of Applied Sciences Northwest Switzerland, Basel; Lucerne School of Art and Design. In 2011 he was visiting lecturer at the School of Design at the University of Technology, Sydney. Further guest lectureships were at universities (BA, MA, graduate schools) across Europe, Asia and Australia.
Other engagements have been in the international art education platform Cumulus VisCom Working Group; as ambassador of indigenous design at the International Council of Design (ICoD). He was on the advisory panel of the Journal of Communication Design (Routledge, later: Taylor & Francis). Affiliation with the Science City Lab, HafenCity University Hamburg, a cooperation with MIT Media Lab, 2017-2023.
Education
- BA Communication Design, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam (South Holland Design Prize 1999)
- MA Communication Design, AVANS Academy in Breda (2003)
- MAS Design management with focus on organisational cultures and identity, University of Applied Sciences Northwest Switzerland (2005)
- CAS Didactics for Higher Education, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (2015)
As a life-long learner, Evert Ypma explores every three years a ‘new’ subject area in-depth which is integrated in his forthcoming practice:
- Corporate identity and branding in a globalised world (2003)
- Design politics: public diplomacy and branding for cities, regions, nations and supranational organisations (2004)
- Identity and representation in hybrid societies (2006)
- Design cultures and trust (2008)
- Post-photography and image generating practices in the networked society (2012)
- Collaborative decision-making in digital (urban design) contexts (2017)
- The incorporation of data and AI in design culture (2020)
Languages
Dutch, English, German, Swiss German
Research, publication and educational projects
Initiator and leadership of research and educational programs, labs and project series. In various forms, these programs and labs have linked research, education and social issues.
- Imagining Science, Lucerne School of Art and Design (2017-2021). Continued in the framework of Unbound Trajectories, Office for Agency: Design, Research and Strategy (2021-ongoing)
- Curriculum and leadership of a course program Visual Communication – Camera Arts on visual storytelling, design and society, Lucerne School of Art and Design (2012-2022)
- Leadership over the postgraduate research and course program Multiplicity & Visual identities at Design2context, Institute for Design Research, Zurich University of the Arts (2004-2011)
Publications
See evertypma.nl
Design and strategy projects (selection)
In his 25+ years, Evert Ypma has worked with organisations in various fields and contributed to a wide range of projects that oscillate between the strategic, conceptual and operative dimension.
- Association of Swiss Architects (Basel)
- Club of Rome (Zurich/Winterthur)
- Credit Suisse Group (Zurich)
- Ministry of General Affairs, Government Information Service RVD (The Hague)
- European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (Luxembourg) and Council of Europe (Strasbourg)
- Excellence Foundation, Department of Economics, University of Zurich
- Fotomuseum Winterthur
- Helvetia Insurance Group (St. Gallen)
- Kashf Microcredit Bank (Lahore, PK)
- NOMIS Foundation (Zurich)
- State Archive Basel-Stadt
- State Archive St. Gallen
- Studio Ai Weiwei (Beijing) and Gwangju Design Biennial (South Korea)
- University of Technology, Sydney
In his early career Evert Ypma has been involved in design projects at MetaDesign Berlin (Heidelberg, HEWI); SRG Idée Suisse; Royal Talens; 18th World Jamboree Holland 1995; Traast & Gruson (exhibition design for Maaskant Foundation, Architecture Biennial Rotterdam, International Building Exhibition Rotterdam-Hoogvliet). In addition he worked on the design of art, photography and architecture publications.
