Metahaven

Metahaven is an Amsterdam-based design studio operating as Professors of Digital Design at The European Graduate School / EGS. Founded in 2007 by Vinca Kruk (b. 1980) and Daniel van der Velden (b. 1971), the studio functions as a strategic graphic design agency creating work spanning conferences, publications, visual identities, policy documents, and digital appearances that critically engage with political and social issues.

Metahaven's research examines the intersection of design, geopolitics, and digital networks, with particular focus on transparency, whistleblowing, and network power. Their practice challenges traditional notions of branding and state identity, developing critical frameworks like 'black transparency' (involuntary transparency through leaks) and critiquing concepts like Joseph Nye's 'soft power.' The studio's methodology combines research-driven design with design-driven research to address contemporary political challenges through visual communication.

Metahaven's publications reveal a consistent exploration of how visual communication shapes political discourse in the digital age. Their works examine memes as political tools, the architecture of whistleblowing, and critical approaches to nation branding. These publications demonstrate how design functions as a political medium that both reflects and shapes power structures in networked societies.

• CoBRA Art Prize (2013)
• Icon Design Studio of the Year Award (2013)

As a collaborative studio rather than traditional academic entity, Metahaven partners with organizations including the Icelandic Modern Media Institute, Independent Diplomat, and cultural institutions worldwide. Their practice bridges academic research, artistic production, and political activism through exhibitions and interventions that challenge conventional boundaries between design disciplines.

The studio maintains a significant international presence with exhibitions at MoMA PS1, CAPC musée d'art contemporain in Bordeaux, and Walker Art Center. Their work represents a distinctive approach to design that treats visual communication as inherently political, examining how images, networks, and platforms shape contemporary power structures and democratic processes.