Back in 2022, when the idea for the Global Shrimp Forum was first taking shape, it did not yet look or feel the way it does today. We knew the direction we wanted to take: professional, modern and warm, reflecting the industry we knew. But how do you turn those qualities into a visual identity?
We partnered with Nina Mathijsen and Marnix de Klerk of Take a Detour to give GSF its shape, and they have been the stewards of that identity ever since.
They built the brand from the ground up and have shaped everything from reports, social media and event materials to screen-printed T-shirts, scarves, pochettes and Nina’s now-iconic shrimp illustrations for the menus.
Over the years, they have also become friends, trusted creative partners and, perhaps unexpectedly, genuine experts in shrimp design.
In our latest interview, Nina and Marnix talk about building the GSF identity, the work that often goes unnoticed and what it means to help shape a small, close-knit industry from behind the scenes.
Describe your role at GSF.
We are Marnix de Klerk and Nina Mathijsen and we design and illustrate all the visual communications for GSF.
How long have you been working with the GSF?
We’ve been involved with GSF from the very beginning, going all the way back to 2022.
What do you most enjoy about collaborating with the GSF team?
We both enjoy working with a young and enthusiastic team that genuinely values good graphic design. It's nice to work in a field that's well outside our usual area of work; I mean, we eat shrimp now and than, but it’s a complete niche. And it’s a pleasure to now have super specific field of (visual) expertise on shrimp design. I have drawn more shrimp in all stadia than I ever thought I would.
I've developed a mild case of occupational bias—whenever I order shrimp, I automatically wonder whether they're vannamei or monodon.
What would you say makes the Global Shrimp Forum unique?
What stands out to me is that GSF feels purpose-driven rather than purely commercial. It's not just about organising a conference, but about bringing the industry together and sharing knowledge. From my perspective as designers, it's also quite special that visual communication is seen as an important part of that mission.
What is a part of your role that you think goes unnoticed, but is vital in the delivery of the forum?
A lot of the work is behind the scenes. Our role is to make information clear, consistent, readable and visually engaging across everything we create. When people can easily navigate a report or instantly recognise something as GSF, the design is doing its job—even if they don't consciously notice it.
We’re celebrating our 5th anniversary this year. What have you enjoyed most about working with the team over the years?
Besides the reports and online visual communication every year we’ve had the freedom to create handcrafted special editions, like screenprinted tshirts, exclusive scarves and pochettes. Every year for the menu I make a series of aquarelles of the dishes that sometimes are giveaways. This year we’re making a risograph print and an etching.
