Crouwel

Crouwel is a Dutch surname. The most prominent bearer is Wim Crouwel (1928–2019), a Dutch graphic designer, typographer, and educator who co-founded the design studio Total Design. Total Design became one of the leading Dutch design firms, producing corporate identities, signage, and posters for a range of clients including cultural institutions and public services.

Crouwel's design philosophy centered on ordered systems, most notably the grid. His work is associated with a restrained, systematic approach that sought clarity and efficiency through modular layouts and carefully chosen typography. He helped popularize a machine-age aesthetic in late 20th-century graphic design and influenced generations of designers through his studio's work and teaching. One of his best-known type experiments is New Alphabet, a geometric sans designed to explore legibility and the expressive potential of letterforms reduced to basic shapes.

Crouwel's influence extends beyond his own outputs: his approach to grids, typography, and identity design contributed to the development of corporate branding and signage in Europe. His work is held in major museum collections, and he is regarded as a pivotal figure in postwar Dutch design. The surname Crouwel remains a relatively uncommon Dutch family name.