What Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO does

Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO is a Dutch graphic design studio (Grafisch ontwerpbureau) operating as a sole proprietorship from Heemstede, Netherlands, founded in 2004 by Kees-Jan Smit. The studio provides bespoke graphic design services spanning logo and corporate identity design, book design and layout, magazine editorial layout, website visual design, exhibition design, and infographic/pictogram systems. Its work is concentrated in the Dutch market, with a portfolio that is unusually deep in Citroën automotive publishing (multiple books, two recurring magazines, and direct work for Citroën itself) alongside art gallery and institutional clients such as Kunsthal Rotterdam, Gemeente Heemstede, and individual artists.

The studio operates without proprietary software, APIs, or technology products; delivery relies on standard graphic design tooling supplemented by a curated network of independent collaborators (illustrators, copywriters, photographers, web developers such as Labelvier, and printers). Project execution is founder-led, with the principal personally managing client relationships and creative output. Distribution is direct-to-client, project-based, with no disclosed pricing and no public marketing beyond the portfolio website (keesjansmit.nl) and word-of-mouth referrals.

The revenue model is professional services on a per-project basis, augmented by long-tenured recurring magazine layout retainers (CitroExpert since 1996, La Bombe Citroën 10 issues per year) and one-off institutional commissions. The studio holds no external funding, has no subsidiaries, and reports no headcount growth beyond the founder and a small collaborator network. Membership in the BNO (Beroepsvereniging van Ontwerpers) signals professional standing in the Dutch design community.

Name

Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO

Legal name

Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO

Website

https://keesjansmit.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO is a Heemstede-based sole-proprietorship graphic design studio founded in 2004 by Kees-Jan Smit, serving Dutch clients with bespoke logo, corporate identity, book, magazine, website, and exhibition design. Its portfolio is unusually concentrated in Citroën automotive publishing alongside art galleries and institutional clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graphic Design Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (54143), Graphic Design Services (541430), Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Graphic design services
• Brand identity design
• Book design layout
• Magazine editorial design
• Website visual design

Headquarters

HQ city

Heemstede

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Project-based Design Services: Revenue is generated through custom graphic design projects including logo design, book design and layout, magazine layout and publishing, website visual design, corporate identity packages, and exhibition/display design. Projects are commissioned directly by clients on an individual basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO is a freelance graphic design bureau (Grafisch ontwerpbureau) that delivers custom visual design services including logos, corporate identity, book design and layout, magazine layout, website visual design, and exhibition/infographic design. The studio manages projects end-to-end from concept through production, coordinating with printers, photographers, and web developers as needed. It operates as a solo practice led by founder Kees-Jan Smit, collaborating with a network of illustrators, copywriters, photographers, and web developers for specialized tasks.

Product overview

Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO is a graphic design studio (Grafisch ontwerpbureau) offering a portfolio of design services centered around visual communication. The core offerings include logo design services, book design services (covering covers, interior layouts, and endpapers), magazine layout services, and website design services. Additional specialized services include exhibition design for museums and galleries, and infographic/pictogram design for organizational communication. The studio operates as a service-based design bureau rather than a software product company, with projects spanning corporate branding, editorial design, automotive publications, and cultural institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Logo Design Services Custom logo design services for businesses and individuals, including corporate identity elements such as letterhead, signage, and branding materials. Clients include Citroen, Keramikos, Molitor, Perche & Forgeron Antiques, and TCSD.
• Book Design Services
• Magazine Layout Services
• Website Design Services
• Exhibition Design Services Exhibition design services including display cabinets, information walls, and spatial graphics for museums and galleries. Includes the Huid en Haar exhibition at Kunsthal Rotterdam and Museum Visscher Classique with a 10-meter timeline display.
• Infographic and Pictogram Design

Named customers24 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CitrovisieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCitrovisie is the publisher/distributor for automotive books designed by Studio Kees-Jan Smit, including French Microcars/Microcars Français and Museum Visscher Classique catalog. Books are available for order through Citrovisie.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Global multi-partner design firm offering identity, editorial, and branding at scale — overlaps in service categories but operates at materially larger scale and broader geography.
• Landor & Fitch: Global branding and design consultancy operating across identity, brand strategy, and experience design — a much larger incumbent that competes for the same brand-identity engagements.
• MetaDesign: International design agency with deep identity and editorial capabilities, part of WPP; serves as a larger-scale incumbent alternative for the same kinds of brand and editorial briefs.

Direct peers

• Lust: The Hague-based design studio working across identity, editorial, and digital for cultural and commercial clients; comparable boutique positioning with a Dutch clientele.
• Experimental Jetset: Amsterdam-based graphic design practice known for identity and print work for cultural institutions; comparable in scale, craft focus, and client mix.
• Studio Dumbar: Rotterdam-based independent graphic design studio with a comparable Dutch design-services profile, producing identity, editorial, and cultural-institution work for similar client types (museums, public-sector, cultural brands).
• Thonik: Amsterdam design studio specializing in visual identity and graphic design for cultural, public, and commercial clients — directly comparable service scope and Dutch market focus.
• Cartlidge Levene: London-based book design specialist with a comparable focus on editorial/book design for authors and small publishers; the closest functional peer on book design craft.
• Total Design: Historic Amsterdam design agency offering graphic design, identity, and editorial services to Dutch and international clients — directly comparable in service mix and target market.
• KesselsKramer: Amsterdam-based independent creative agency producing identity, advertising, and editorial work — overlapping client base in cultural, retail, and SME segments in the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Studio Kees-Jan Smit BNO