Team Thursday

What Team Thursday does

Team Thursday is a graphic design studio based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, founded in 2011 by Loes van Esch and Simone Trum. The studio operates as a two-person practice with a rotating roster of collaborators and focuses on visual identities, books and publications, spatial objects, and exhibitions — with a particular emphasis on typography, material experimentation, and the performativity of physical objects. Production capabilities span risograph printing, silkscreen, letterpress, and Jacquard weaving, with a recently developed tile type tool co-built with coder Janine Zielman that has been deployed in commercial and exhibition work.

The studio sells its services primarily through direct commissions to museums, cultural institutions, publishers, and fashion brands. Anchor clients include the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, MMCA (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea), Kunstinstituut Melly, Mondriaan Fund, nai010 publishers, Jap Sam Books, State of Fashion Biennale, and institutions such as Central Saint Martins London and the Dutch government. Pricing for commissions is quote-based per project, while a parallel e-commerce webshop sells silkscreened apparel (sweaters €30, jackets €189), risoprint posters (€20), publications (€15), and textiles such as the Clash Cloth tablecloth (€100), with several SKUs frequently listed as out of stock.

The studio's go-to-market is reputation-driven rather than sales-deployed: it acquires work through international exhibitions, AGI membership credentials, and recurring collaborations with artists and architects (Koen Taselaar, Thomas Trum, Vera van de Seyp, Atelier Tomas Dirrix). It operates a self-curated exhibition program called TTHQ from its studio space, teaches typography at ArtEZ Arnhem, and maintains a global exhibition presence spanning the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom. There is no external funding, no productized SaaS offering, and no AI/ML capability layer; the business is a craft-led professional services practice with a small ancillary product line.

Name

Team Thursday

Legal name

Team Thursday

Website

https://teamthursday.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Team Thursday is a Rotterdam-based graphic design studio founded by Loes van Esch and Simone Trum that designs typography-driven visual identities, publications, exhibitions, and spatial objects for museums, cultural institutions, publishers, and fashion brands, and sells a small line of silkscreened apparel and printed merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Design commissions and projects: Core revenue from designing visual identities, books, catalogues, exhibitions, and spatial designs for museums, cultural institutions, publishers, and fashion clients. Projects include publications for Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, identity work for State of Fashion Biennale, and spatial designs for Kunstinstituut Melly.
2. Product sales (e-commerce): Direct sales of designed products through their webshop: TT Sweaters (€30), A2 Risoprint Posters (€20), publications (€15), Tablecloths (€100), Jackets (€189). Products include screenprinted and sewn merchandise.
3. Exhibition fees and residencies: Revenue from exhibition commissions and artist residencies, such as their MMCA Seoul residency and exhibition commissions at various galleries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Team Thursday is a Rotterdam-based graphic design studio that designs visual identities, books and publications, typography, and spatial objects for client commissions. The studio also runs workshops and exhibitions, and sells self-produced merchandise through its own online shop.

Product overview

Team Thursday is a graphic design studio offering design services (visual identities, books, spatial objects) and selling merchandise products. The product portfolio includes publications like 'Does a Face Have a Chronology?', apparel items (I See Double jackets, TT Sweaters in burgundy and lilac), print products (Sizzle Plop Fsshh riso poster), and textiles (Clash Cloth tablecloth). Services include graphic design for clients, exhibitions (TTHQ), and occasional workshops internationally, with teaching at ArtEZ Arnhem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TTHQ: Series of miscellaneous events and exhibitions organized by Team Thursday in their studio space.

Products and services

• Visual Identity Design
• Books and Publications
• Spatial Objects
• Typography
• Workshops and Exhibitions
• Merchandise Shop

Quantifiable outcome

• Won Limburg Design Award 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Koen TaselaarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaborator on multiple projects including TTHQ events/exhibitions organization, Seoul residency publications (Dyslectic Melody, Sing Your Life), and various spatial book presentations. Co-organized TTHQ in previous studio space.
• Atelier Tomas DirrixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on redesign of ground space of Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam, along with Koen Taselaar. The space functions as bookshop, cafe, and eventspace.
• Janine ZielmancoreTechnology or IntegrationCurrently developing tile type tool together - a typographic tool for creating tile-based letterforms. Applied in Asahiso Noma exhibition (Osaka), 3sec.gallery exhibition, and Volkskrant V cover design.
• Vera van de SeypmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on State of Fashion Biennale 2022 visual identity. Together with Vera van de Seyp, designed a digital tool that generates infinite different posters (Cadavre Exquis of participant work images).
• Thomas TrumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaborator on multiple book projects including Daily Spins (Porsche special edition), Southern Spins (600 different painted covers), and exhibition titles at Het Noordbrabants Museum.
• AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale)coreOthersTeam Thursday is a member of AGI, Alliance Graphique Internationale - an international professional association of graphic designers.
• Stedelijk Museum AmsterdammajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommissioned for multiple projects including Stedelijk A-Z collection catalogue design and visual identity work. Multiple project commissions over years.
• Kunstinstituut MellymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommissioned for spatial redesign (Dance Dance Sit Sit), exhibition design, and I See Double jackets made from surplus fabric from Kunstinstituut Melly projects.
• nai010 publishersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple publication collaborations including Land Art Live, Women in Architecture, Narrative Architecture, Do It Ourselves, Help we zijn populair!
• Mondriaan FundmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOngoing collaboration since 2012 for Prospects & Concepts exhibition visual identity, organized during Art Rotterdam. Includes invitations, exhibition guides, animated type, signage, and catalogues.
• State of Fashion BiennalemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommissioned for visual identity design of State of Fashion biennale 2022, including digital tool, visitor guides, and exhibition signage.
• Falsework architectsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeveloped letterset as graphic identity for Falsework architects, with website collaboration with Janine Zielman.
• Jap Sam BooksmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher for multiple Team Thursday projects including Private View (Cees de Rooij book), Rollable Ramblings (Koen Taselaar), Daily Spins (Thomas Trum).
• Graphic MattersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExhibition at 3sec.gallery commissioned by Graphic Matters, showing tile type tool results with 60 A2 posters in parking garage of Chassé Theater Breda.
• Best Dutch Book DesignsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesigned De Kapitaal award (new yearly award for Dutch book design) and multiple catalogue designs for Best Dutch Book Designs selection.
• MMCA SeoulmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorResidency at MMCA Changdong, Seoul. Designed flags for MMCA Changdong entrance spelling SPIELTRIEB. Created Seoul City Sampling exhibition.
• Idea BooksminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor for Team Thursday publications including Does a Face Have a Chronology?

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Global multi-partner design firm with deep cultural-sector and identity work. Comparable in offering and client type but vastly larger scale and breadth, serving as a broad incumbent reference for the cultural design category.

Regional players

• Bureau Mirko Borsche: Munich-based design studio with a distinctive typographic, hand-crafted identity for cultural and brand clients. Comparable in craft-led design, but operates primarily in the German-speaking market rather than the Netherlands.

Direct peers

• Studio Joost Grootens: Amsterdam-based solo practice with a focus on book design, typography, and information graphics for cultural institutions. Comparable in book/publication design craft and Dutch cultural-sector client base.
• Lust: The Hague-based design studio combining graphic design, typography, and digital/print experimentation for cultural and institutional clients. Comparable in typographic craft, exhibition output, and Dutch independent-studio model.
• Project Projects: Independent design studio known for cultural-sector identity, exhibition, and publication work, with typographic depth. Comparable in craft focus, cultural client base, and small-team independent model.
• Thonik: Amsterdam-based independent design studio with a strong identity and exhibition design practice for cultural and public-sector clients. Comparable in AGI-level cultural-sector positioning and typographic experimentation.
• Maximage: Independent Swiss design practice working across identity, publication, and exhibition design with a strong typographic and craft focus. Comparable in publication design, exhibition work, and boutique independent structure.
• Experimental Jetset: Amsterdam-based independent graphic design studio known for conceptual, typography-led identity work for cultural institutions. Comparable in size, design philosophy, and focus on Dutch museums and biennales.
• Studio Dumbar: Long-established Rotterdam graphic design studio with a similar cultural-sector and identity-design focus, including high-profile Dutch institutional clients. Directly comparable in craft, typographic signature, and Rotterdam-based operations.

Emerging players

• Scholz & Friends Identity: European design group with strong cultural-sector and brand-identity work. Comparable in typographic and identity capabilities for cultural clients but operates as a larger group structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/teamthursday
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/team-thursday

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Team Thursday