How did you discover your passion for design and gain the necessary skills to enter the industry? I grew up in Amsterdam in a design-centric household. Art was a big part of my upbringing. In the early ’90s, I moved to New York City and landed a job at an internet startup developing motion graphics. From there, I worked at a production company directing commercials and began collaborating with strategist Peter Tashjian on pitches and concepts; eventually, we established our design firm Love & War.

My design skills grew because I was always willing to take on anything and looking to connect with creative people. Through this, I built up my skillset through all the different types of projects and from being around some of the best creatives in New York.

What led you to establish Love & War? After working across so many different types of creative projects, whether it was film, digital or animation, it felt natural to create a space where all those disciplines could come together. I also wanted to work with people who had vision and talent and be able to assemble a team around that. As a partner, I work closely with every team member, guiding and shaping the projects and giving people the support to do their best work.

What would you say is Love & War’s distinct style, and who are your typical clients? Our style is driven by the world the target audience wants to live in: who they are, what they believe in, what the value and who they aspire to be. We try to build a world that resonates at a cultural level. We work best with clients who understand that brand is as much about the culture of the target as it is about the product we’re selling.

Our typical client is trying to make a cultural impact in their industry, whether that’s hospitality, technology, media or fintech.

Tell us about your recent work developing an identity for Partners Coffee Roasters. How did you create a system that spoke to its locality in Brooklyn? Naming was key. We landed on “Partners” to reflect the company’s integrated model—a company that did everything from sourcing growers to doing on-site roasting to running neighborhood storefronts—and the sense of community, collaboration and connection that existed across the entire coffee value chain.

The identity, in turn, was shaped by Brooklyn’s neighborhood spirit: creative, approachable and rooted in community. It was a conscious departure from hyper-technical or ultra-minimalist coffee brands in favor of something more human and inviting. From the warm, script-style lettering to the overall design language, the identity feels lived-in and local.

Other than Partners Coffee Roasters, what have been some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on at Love & War? How have they changed your perception of what you can accomplish with design? Design is a way of communicating a concept. It all starts with a vision or a big insight. The Belmont Park arena project is a good example: it was a large, complex, multivenue project that came to life because we were able to help shape its big-picture vision. This guided everything from the arena architecture, the art and retail concept, among other media. It all began with one initial idea; everything else followed from there.

In your research into creating local designs, what are some of the pitfalls and tropes you’ve encountered? How can designers avoid falling into these? It’s easy to default to visual clichés: graffiti for Brooklyn, palm trees for Los Angeles, cowboy hats for Texas and flags for anywhere else. But those shortcuts flatten a place rather than revealing its complexity. Great design isn't decorative; it’s interpretive.

We don’t approach “local design” as an aesthetic choice. It’s about understanding the social, cultural and emotional context a brand lives in. Who are we speaking to? What do they care about? That’s the brief. When you live somewhere or spend real time there, you absorb nuance: how people talk, what they reject and what they take pride in. That’s the difference between designing for a location and designing from inside it.

As the United States begins to transition to a more isolated economy, what are some of the advantages to grounding identities with hyperlocal storytelling? How do you see this principle helping brands scale? When a nation becomes more inward-facing, consumer preference follows. People start to value what’s “theirs” more, and local pride becomes a purchase driver. Brands that reflect local culture, values and visuals are better positioned to resonate.

In fact, brands born from a specific place often scale because of it, not in spite of it. That specificity becomes a signature. Think of how Brooklyn became shorthand for quality and creative edge. The local lens gives a brand its sharpest storytelling tool. In the long term, this principle futureproofs brands by embedding them in something real and enduring: people and place.

What would you say is the biggest challenge currently facing designers, and how can they overcome it? The world has become a smorgasbord of sameness and reheated design. Block it out. Try to gain a deep understanding of who you're designing for and the world they connect with most.

Do you have any advice for creatives just getting their start in the industry today? The biggest challenge is learning to step outside yourself and see the world through the eyes of your audience. Design is about connection and about finding a way to speak to a particular group of people in a way that truly resonates. ca