1. Who are you and what do you do?
Mijksenaar designs wayfinding and information systems for places where it is easy to get lost, such as airports, hospitals, museums and entire cities. For more than 40 years, we have been helping people find their way without stress. In short: we make sure you can easily find your gate at Schiphol Airport.
2. What makes your work special or unique?
We look beyond the sign on the wall. Our team combines architecture, psychology, industrial design and UX design to understand how people actually behave in a space: where they turn, where they hesitate and where they give up. We translate those insights into something that works, rather than something that merely looks good. In fact, we know we have done our job well when you find your way without even having to think about it.
3. Why are you a member of Buurtnetwerk De Plantage?
Our office is on Entrepotdok, in the heart of De Plantage, and we have literally helped with wayfinding throughout the neighbourhood. ARTIS, Royal Theatre Carré and the metro are all examples of our work. Joining the neighbourhood network was therefore mainly a matter of making official what was already the case.
We feel very much at home in this area. Our office has been here for almost 15 years, and our colleagues enjoy walking through the neighbourhood, getting a good sandwich and swimming in the canal.
4. What kinds of collaboration with other organisations are you open to?
Working with architects and other experts is part of our daily work, so we are always open to collaboration. If an issue arises in the neighbourhood involving orientation, accessibility or the question, “Why does everyone keep walking in the wrong direction here?”, feel free to get in touch.
5. What would you like to contribute to the neighbourhood?
We would be happy to contribute our expertise wherever it can be useful, for example by helping to create clear routes or improve accessibility in public spaces. Beyond that, we simply want to play an active part in making this a pleasant, well-functioning neighbourhood, rather than merely being a name on a membership list.
6. What might neighbourhood enthusiasts enjoy knowing about you?
The next time you effortlessly find your way around ARTIS, Royal Theatre Carré or the National Holocaust Museum, remember that we helped you do so from our office on Entrepotdok. We also apply the same expertise used here in De Plantage at Schiphol Airport, JFK Airport in New York and many other places across the Netherlands, Europe and the rest of the world.
Every year, we help one billion people find their way.
Website https://www.mijksenaar.com/
Tel: +31 20 691 47 29
Email: office@mijksenaar.com