About Irèn Nooren // A visual designer of luxury brands

Purple Heathland Galderse Heide — The purple Heathland of the Galderse Heide near Breda.

Bringing a sense of blooming into visual design

As I stroll along the boardwalk overlooking the purple heathland, a ray of late afternoon sunshine kisses my skin. A playful breeze swirls a couple of locks in front of my eyes. Then, a glimmer in a wee corner of my imagination. What if… I pause for a moment, close my eyes, and take a deep breath.

The tiny tingling seed sprouts and a picture starts to take shape. Oh yeah! That could actually work. I open my eyes and continue my stroll until I find myself a spot in the shadow of a beech tree.

Thrilled to meet you!

I am Irèn Nooren, a visual designer who lives and works in Princenhage. Princen-what-now, I hear you say? Yes, it is a cute, little near the city of Breda. A stone throw away from the Dutch – Belgian border. I am proud to be part of the WordPress Community and known to be independent and unconventional, and for my love for pastel colours, checkered patterns, and flowers. Lets meet up for a coffee?

Contact me

shirtsandwords dushi curacao — What I am proud of having done: designing apparel brand shirts&words.

I just can’t stop designing and creating

I couldn’t make myself stop prettifying the world. Not just for my clients. After office hours, my mind concocts all sorts of fun projects. Over the years, I have conceived apparel brand, postcards, handmade purses, and a children’s book. To name a few. Just for the fun of exploring undiscovered territory. As I grow older, though, my resistance against all things disposable and mass-manufactured seems to be growing. This is why I am currently dreaming up a line of handmade products that I – and my best friends – would be proud to use and gift.

More projects I am proud of

Illustration of Emma — Emma, Muse of design thinking.

Mireille showing the handmade dress — Making a statement against fast fashion.

Illustrated children book piskechi — Illustrating picture book Piskechi.

Postcards from Curacao — Publishing postcards from Curaçao.

Handmade iPad bag — Creating a handpainted and handmade bag.

Pink Rose painted on fabric — Experimenting with textile painting.

Creativity, commitment and craftsmanship: essential ingredients for sustainable success

In our day and age, many people pick bargains over quality. And seem to accept that they get what they pay for. That disturbs me deeply. We all have limited budgets. But I am also convinced that investing in branding and design can be done sustainably. By being in touch with our audiences first. And by starting small and expanding gradually.

I am happy and proud to share that I have been able to gradually cultivate the brands of several business owners who are passionate about craftsmanship and quality. We started with extensive conversations about their buyers and users. So that I could envision myself in their shoes. Imagine ways to enrich their lives. And then craft the look and feel that evoked the desired emotional response. Which, in turn, swayed their audience towards the desired actions.

I design for digital and printed media, and I design utilities and wearables. To come up with designs that are touching and memorable, I use both traditional and digital techniques.

If I had magic powers and several mostly useless – but fun – bits and pieces about me

If I had magic powers

every person on this planet would be collaborating on making the world more beautiful in a sustainable way. Besides that, everyone would prioritize honest, long term relationships over short term gain. All the time. Also, cheap mass production and disposables would only be a faint memory of the past.

If you were to happen to catch me daydreaming,

and you could join me in my dream, you might find me in an Alphonso Mucha like landscape, enjoying the peace and quiet. Or you might encounter me in another variation of dreamed up bliss.

If you would ask what really matters to me,

I would answer

connecting with people on a deeper level,
being devoted to craftsmanship,
and caring for nature and the environment.

If you care to know about my credentials,

I have a bachelor degree in visual arts and communication, but also completed coursework on literature and language studies. In addition to that I am a lifelong learner. I map out projects to keep expanding my skills and expertise.

The gorgeous Caribbean island Curaçao,

is where I have lived for about 10 years. During these years, I ran my own design studio: Memento Vivi. I created the branding and collateral for clients, but also developed several concepts. I created an apparel brand, published calendars, postcards, and an online magazine.

A sense of spring: is that the design style you’re looking for?

A sense of spring. That’s the best way to describe my design style. You will find me turning to

pastel colours;
pencil drawings;
photos of flowers;
patterns with polka dots, stripes and plaids;
off-white backgrounds.

time and again. And I refuse to use black and white. There. I said it.

How do I keep the spring in my designs?

As a designer, it never ceases to amaze me what can spark inspiration. Over the years, I have discovered that I oftentimes find inspiration in:

12th century Maria icons;
The oeuvre of the 16th century artist Jan van Doesborch;
Graphical art by Hokusai, Alphonso Mucha and William Morris;
The homely interiors drawings by Carl Larsson;
Flower paintings by Robert John Thornton;
The use of colours of Expressionists and Fauvinists like Vincent van Gogh, Paul Klee en Piet Mondriaan;
The socialistic-realistic paintings of Mai Dantsig.