Arjan van Woensel

Arjan van Woensel – Designer

Easy-going and highly experienced designer / art director with many professional accolades and experience under his belt.

Overview


Hello, my name is Arjan, born and raised in the Netherlands but living in beautiful New Zealand.

Under the nom de guerre of Tenzing, I help people achieve their publishing aspirations. Together, we explore opportunities and I guide you to your publishing goal until — in the words of Sir Edmund Hillary — you knock the bastard off. I'm the Designer / Art Director who will forge ahead on the path to getting you a gorgeous, publishable book.

Let’s talk about your Everest and see if I can be your sherpa! 🤩

I've got tons of experience in print — the technical side of it as well as the visual aspects of it. I love a challenge and always aim to make a publication stand out. Typography is my forte and I go further than just creating an attractive cover: the perfect typesetting of the interior text is just as important to me.

Over the years, I've won many professional accolades. I'm afraid I seriously lost count of how many design & art direction awards I have won.

I'm a book nerd and built my own library room to keep all my favourite reads neatly together. Think of it as a research library for book design — I'm almost a bit ashamed to admit there are plenty of copies in my library that I bought just because of their looks. Oops! There, I said it.

I love cover designs with loads of character in it — whether that is bold and funny or clean and straightforward or playful and frank.
My designs are not minimalist but rather maximalist: I aim to dramatise the main feeling and style the author wants to get across and I use typography, colour and well-curated photography to achieve that goal.

But I'm at my very best when I can add that emotional layer of suspense and intrigue to the design. I love it when a book makes a statement and is singular in its design. Let's make yours!

↪ Snippets of recent reviews I'm proud of:

“Arjan is such a talent! So much thought went into how and why images were chosen, it really opened my eyes to the creative force of the book cover. I'm certain that his artistry played a role in my #1 new release title. You won't regret a collaboration with Arjan.”
— Cee McDermott

“Arjan is an extremely unbelievable professional. His quality and class of job output are way out of this world. He is extremely patient, painstaking and committed to the project he undertakes. His level of understanding of the job requirement is mind-boggling.”
—Emmanuel Obeta

“Arjan was great. Not only did he come up with several good design ideas, but he also sent them in a fun and clear presentation for me to make my choice.”
— Kevin Mori

“I must say, Arjan's work is state of the art. His thorough involvement, engagement and interaction during the project was second to none.”
— Sohan Gokarn

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Health & Wellbeing Inspirational Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Historical Mysteries Historical Romance
Languages
English
Awards
  • Eurobest Awards
  • Cannes Lions Awards
  • Epica Awards
  • ADCN Awards
  • Adobe / HOW Awards
  • Best Awards
  • Clio Awards
  • Crowdiate
  • Effie Awards
  • Esprix Awards
Certifications
  • BFA Communication Design
  • SEO Linkedin Certificate
  • SquareSpace Circle Member
  • Google Analytics
  • Enlightened Warrior
  • ICC Boating License Inland + Coastal + VHF

Work experience

Self-employed

Mar, 2012 — Present

Design and marketing consultant. Starting self-initiated and commissioned branding projects. Translating strategy into visual communication. Growing brands and businesses.

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

Jun, 2013 — Nov, 2015 (over 2 years)

Creative Strategy workshop as part of the Entrepreneurship curriculum of the Amsterdam University Of Applied Science.

Doom & Dickson

May, 2000 — Jan, 2006 (over 5 years)

Creative direction, brand strategy concepts and art direction for consumer and business brands. Strategy and management tasks for agency.

Arjan has 21 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Natalie L.

Natalie L.

Apr, 2023

I am so deeply appreciative of what Arjan delivered to me. His expertise is exceptional. We stepped outside the box with covers. Oh did I mention, he delivered covers, formatting, and beautiful ideas for 6 books and a journal? He helped to make my books classy, real, and hopefully with the ability to last for decades. He was patient and informative and showed he cared. That is priceless!! Fr...
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Arjan V.
Thanks so much for your appreciation, Natalie! It was a pleasure to work with you and I'm proud of what we've achieved as a result: 6 beautiful books and a journal that hopefully will help people t...
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Slawomir S.

Slawomir S.

Apr, 2023

Arjan did a great job, both proposing his own ideas and pursuing my suggestions. Very professional work, clear and understandable comments. Highly recommended!
Jane H.

Jane H.

Apr, 2023

My project was a particularly troublesome because I used a variety of modes to tell my story, including images, poetry, WhatsApp messages and letters. Arjan was meticulous in every aspect, accepting the number of revisions needed with good grace and humour. I cannot recommend this professional highly enough. He is a consummate artist who takes pride in his work.
Arjan V.
No trouble at all Jane! Was great doing this book for you and thanks for calling me an artist ☺️
Deborah C.

Deborah C.

Apr, 2023

Wow! First-time author and was unsure of process. Arjan made it effortless! He was marvelous to work with. He understood what I was looking for and gave me more! Thanks, Arjan!
Arjan V.
Thank you Deborah! Was great working with you and I’m looking forward to your next book 👋
Sandia K.

Sandia K.

Mar, 2023

Arjan was very helpful in guiding me through the final stages of my book. The design options were very on point with the topic of my story. I would recommend him to both new and seasoned writers. He is very knowledgable , creative and easy to work with.
Arjan V.
Thanks, Sandia. I wish you all the best with your publication 👍 which I'm sure will find an appreciative audience.