Jurriaan was a very strong, sophisticated personality, politically engaged, with an original approach to everything he got involved in. His career started as an assistant to Dick Dooyes, a Dutch typographic designer. From 1951 he worked for a long period with Meyer Printers, producing many company photography books. Film, photography and typography were his main predilections. He was an advisor to the department store De Bijenkorf, the Dutch PTT and the Koninklijke Hoogovens steelworks, for which he designed a logo. His many experimental typefaces were inspired by his great interest in mathematics and technique; they can be seen on numerous book covers, posters, stamps and signage systems. These original and often complex typefaces, although hand-made, often looked digital. Jurriaan was a great teacher and a leading figure in design organizations such as the Art Directors Club, the graphic designers’ group GKf, and the Federation of Artists.