What challenges do you face coming from a country with a strong cycling culture? How do you share that mindset with the world?
Coming from one of the world's cycling capitals is not a challenge, it’s a big opportunity. No matter where you are, the issues and opportunities are essentially the same. We all want more liveable, greener, and cleaner cities. More creative urban solutions, more space to live, safer roads, and more cycling lanes. Every culture has its own view of cycling. And if you look below the surface, there are also stigmas attached to bikes. The real challenge is to break those stigmas. And that’s where VanMoof comes in. We want to change habits and culture by showing people a better alternative. We have the opportunity to really break the mold, as the ‘enfant terrible’ in the e-bike industry.  


Was it a conscious decision at the conception of the brand to position VanMoof as a car alternative rather than a bike alternative?
When VanMoof was born, the goal was simply to make a better bike. It was never meant specifically as a car alternative. However, the bike in general is an alternative to the car. And an e-bike is an even better alternative, especially in cities. A car stands still for 96% of its life, but they take up roughly 60% of inner city space. And when a car moves, it pollutes. The average car only drives 5.6 miles a day. For that distance, you don’t need a car – you can easily bike that. This urban reality motivates my brand vision for VanMoof. I want people to re-think their daily A-to-B. To get them out of their iron boxes and onto bikes. Moving forward, we should celebrate the growing global community which shares this mindset. When you look at the obstacles which hold back our cities from becoming more livable, many can be overcome by switching to two wheels.


Why do you feel VanMoof was so successful at positioning itself as a premium and popular brand within such a saturated market?
Everything the two founders, Ties and Taco, have done from the start of the brand journey has been original. They’ve consciously avoided following the ‘rules’ of the bike industry. The bike’s visual design is iconic, but what really sets us apart is the fact that all features and hardware are developed internally. This has created an amazing playing field to communicate from. As a creative director, I’ve been stimulated and challenged to think outside of the box, to reshape the status quo from day one. All the work we are doing now looks to the future – seeing a greener, cleaner cityscape optimized for better living.

What influences your design aesthetic? Nature? Technology? The automobile industry?
I take inspiration for our communication from various angles; I can’t pinpoint a specific one. As a team, I think we look at what’s happening around us globally and locally, culturally, and creatively and try to link this to the brand and its purpose. These influences can come directly from our riders, or from culture, art, music, and social changes. We translate this into a modular brand voice which allows us to be provocative, playful, and relatable. I want us to be able to react to our environment, to stay agile, and always be unexpected. Shifting from high-spec 3D product animation, to portraying our riders documentary-style, to even using cartoon imagery – we can use different forms to communicate the same vision.

Are there plans to expand the range of VanMoof bikes to include other styles such as a step through frame or a fold up? 
I know the R&D team is always exploring new possibilities within mobility. And I wish I could tell you what’s coming! They’re not only exploring functionality and visual design but also looking at how we can become more sustainable and adapting our manufacturing processes. We’re now focused on creating a completely ownable ecosystem, ready for an ever-changing city landscape and the demands of the people that live there. This means the creative team should work in parallel with R&D to develop campaigns that hero our products and take the brand’s visual aesthetic and voice to the next level.


Other than cost and cycling infrastructure what else do you feel prevents people from switching to cycling for commuting? Do you think VanMoof can be part of that change?
Totally. If VanMoof can help people change their habits, if we can change our culture and get people out of their cars, we’ll quickly see the effects everywhere. And because of COVID-19, this change has been accelerated. Paris is quickly becoming a bike city. New York is recording new riders every day. Milan is developing 35km of bike lanes. You see it happening all over the world. This change will continue, and I believe people will come to rely less and less on cars or public transport. I also think that, as a brand, we could even do more and become part of local conversations, stimulating cities to invest in cycling and helping with infrastructure.


What’s next for the brand? VanMoof is marketed as a luxury product that is affordable, will you continue on that path of ‘design for all’?
I wouldn’t go as far to say that our design is for absolutely everyone. But I am 100% sure that bikes should be accessible to all. So in that sense, we will continue on this path. We’ve made it our mission to get ‘the next billion on bikes’ and make cities cleaner and greener. As part of that, I want to take away any remaining stigmas from biking, so we can all ‘ride the future’ together. The brand’s future focus will be on strengthening our service, building the R&D teams, and expanding globally to become the best-in-class e-bike worldwide.