Lava.Camp, founded by Hans Wolbers, is a traveling creative circus. We only work with nice people, creating meaningful projects together. We never read briefings; we like to talk.
We set up our camp wherever we can make a difference.
We love to collaborate, so we don’t camp alone (=dangerous),
Soon in your backyard!
Hans Wolbers
Hans Wolbers (1965) is founder of Lava Design Amsterdam, Lava Design Beijing and Lava Lab. Wolbers studied Design and Art Direction at the University of Arts in Utrecht.
From the very start in 1990 Lava is one of the leading dutch design agencies.
Wolbers started innovating design principles in editorial design and trained his staff to work as visual journalists.
After being awarded Art Director of the year in 1999 Wolbers opened up the scope of the studio more towards identity design projects and branding.
He brought editorial thinking principles into Identity design thinking, and changed the approach to identity design radically. Lava is the inventor of the term Dynamic Identities.
Lava was awarded ‘European Design Agency of The Year’ in 2010, and soon after it opened an office in Beijing, China.
Besides design projects Wolbers regulary teaches, conducts workshops and lectures throughout the world.
Wolbers was vice president of the Dutch Designers Association BNO and is elected member of AGI since 2002.
In 2016 Wolbers decided to quit as Creative Director/Partner in both
Lava Amsterdam and Lava Beijing to give way to the next generations designers.
He continued with LavaLab to research new areas to innovate the design industry.
In 2019 Lava.Camp was launched as a new way to collaborate intensively on various (sometimes self initiated) projects.
This results, so far, in documentary films, exhibitions, experiences and social- and educational projects.
Wolbers motto: ‘Beyond the thinking, I love the making. Always hands-on.’
Teaching, workshops
and lectures
Hans Wolbers regulary teaches, gives lectures or conducts workshops.
One of the typical lecture
titles is:
“A superfast talk about gorilla’s, the CIA, why text is dangerous, how to find the right toilet and how to earn more money. A very visual talk, 5,6 seconds per image, almost film!”
Austria: Salzburg, Vienna.
China: Shenzhen, Beijing, Chongqing
Hong Kong: Hong Kong
Danmark: Copenhagen
Germany: Berlin, Frankfurt, Augsburg
India: Mumbai
Indonesia: Jakarta, Bandung
Iran: Tehran
Italy: Milano
Netherlands: Arnhem, Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam
Russia: St. Petersburg, Moscow
Spain: Barcelona
Slovenia: Ljubliana
Switzerland: Bern
Taiwan: Taipei, Taoyuan
United Kingdom: London, Edinburgh, Glasgow
USA: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau.
Memberships
and awards
Vice President of Dutch Designers Organisation (BNO), 2002 - 2005
Member of AGI (since 2002)
In both 2007 and 2019 Hans Wolbers co-organized the international AGI-conference in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Awards:
Mercur (Art Director
of the Year)
Art Directors Club NL
DAAD, UK, Great Brittain
Type Directors Club NYC
Russian Design Awards
Best Book Design
Best Annual Report
European Design Agency
…and more…