During our monthly creative learning session, one of our designers brought in a QR code. That little square on your concert ticket, a package, or the menu that used to just sit on the table. We scan it without giving it much thought. But how does it actually work?

Yeah, sometimes we’re just nerds here at Jos, too.

The QR code was invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso. Masahiro Hara and a colleague developed a code that could contain a lot of information and was quickly readable. Hence the name: “Quick Response.” The automotive industry used it to track parts and production.

But a factory isn’t exactly a pristine environment. Oil might get on a label. Something might get damaged. The developers took that into account: the code had to keep working even under those conditions.

So a QR code doesn’t have to be completely intact to be scanned. It contains extra information that allows the scanner to recover missing or damaged data. This is called error correction. The math behind it is called Reed-Solomon. For anyone looking for another internet rabbit hole later on.

What really stuck with us: those imperfect conditions were already factored into the design.

That’s pretty neat. And it makes us think about our own work.

Because on our screen, everything usually looks just right. The message is clear, the order makes sense, the button is where it should be. We know the context. We’ve read the text seventeen times by now.

But the person we’re trying to reach is on the tram. They’re in a hurry. They only read the headline. Or they interpret a word differently than we do.

Does our message still hold up then?

For the governments and organizations we work with, that matters. An invitation must get people to attend an event. A campaign must lower a barrier. A website must help someone find support. If that only works when someone reads everything carefully and understands it right away, we still have work to do.

Of course, human interpretation can’t be fixed with a formula. But we can take it into account. By testing a message with the people it’s intended for. By clearly explaining what happens after a click. By having a form save your input if you forget something. Or simply by including a short web address next to that QR code.

At Jos, we want to engage people in a social narrative. That requires paying attention to their daily reality: what do they already know, what are they unsure about, what’s holding them back? For us, those questions are part of the design, writing, and testing process.

Our creative learning process began with black and white squares. We ended up with a question to hang above our screen: does it work even if someone isn’t as engaged with it as we are?

Want to be a bit of a nerd yourself? Discover how QR codes work.

After twenty years as Josworld, we’re moving forward as Jos. It’s a name many people were already using, and it reflects how we work: personally, clearly, and with commitment. With our new name, brand identity, and website, we’re also clarifying our direction. Jos is a creative agency focused on social impact.

We help governments, organizations, and entrepreneurs with a social mission to truly engage people. We do this by refining their story, creating campaigns that inspire action, and developing services that people understand and enjoy using.

Research, create, and test together

A strong idea starts with understanding. What do you want to achieve? What’s holding people back? And what do they need to take the next step?

We work together to find the answers. We combine insights from behavioral research with strategy and creativity. Then we bring it to life: from a recognizable visual identity and clear communication to a campaign, website, or user-friendly service. We test, learn, and improve along the way.

That’s how we bring organizations closer to the people they serve.

Greater impact, stronger teams

In the coming years, we want to further expand this approach. We’ll focus on what our work achieves: people who participate, express support, find their way, or use a service.

In doing so, we also want to strengthen the teams we work with. We share our knowledge and develop practical tools, sessions, and reusable formats, so that organizations can move forward with confidence on their own.

Our new name reflects that ambition. We’re building on twenty years of experience, with a clear direction: using our creativity to create a more humane, just, and sustainable society.

Nice to meet you. We’re Jos.

An inspirational breakfast with our clients on Tuesday. A celebration with friends, colleagues, partners, and fans on Friday. And in between: the launch of our new story. We celebrated twenty years of Josworld just as it all began here: by bringing people together.

First, coffee and new insights

On Tuesday, October 13, our clients joined us at the table for coffee, rolls, and a dose of inspiration. Taha Riani kicked off the conversation with “Can I Still Say That?”, a discussion about polarization, behavior, and communication.

How do you reach people when opinions seem to be drifting further and further apart? What impact do your words have? These are questions that also come up in our daily work. We help organizations tell their story clearly, but above all, we want to understand what people need to connect with that story.

Breakfast was a lovely opportunity to reflect on this together, and to meet with our clients outside the context of a briefing, planning session, or feedback round.

Friday was all about a little more Jostalgia

Three days later, it was time for our friends, colleagues, partners, and fans from the very beginning. And there were a lot of them. A whole lot.

We found a spot on Lakensestraat, two buildings away from our current office and four buildings away from our very first space. A rather fitting location to celebrate twenty years of Jos.

There were local seasonal dishes, delicious drinks, and an installation where you could pull a string to win a small prize. There was a certain vibe in the air reminiscent of the art openings and happenings from our early years. People saw each other again after years apart or simply picked up a conversation that apparently hadn’t quite ended yet.

A gallery, a collective, and a hundred plans

Anyone who knows Jos today as a creative agency for social impact might not realize that we once also ran an art gallery. That we organized concerts, played VJ sets, went on road trips, and ran art bars.

The first ideas took shape in 2004, during late-night conversations in Brussels about creating our own design space. But “design” soon felt too narrow for everything we wanted to do. So it became Josworld.

In February 2006, it was official. We started as a creative collective with a hundred plans and a lot of enthusiasm for making things. Commissions for Pukkelpop and the Beursschouwburg, among others, set everything in motion. New people joined, new projects emerged, and we had more and more reasons to organize ourselves better.

Many of the people who came to celebrate with us on Friday played a role somewhere in that story, as a colleague, illustrator, intern, freelancer, partner, or sounding board. Together, they made Josworld a place where ideas could take shape and people could grow.

From many possibilities to a clear direction

Starting in 2016, we fully committed to Josworld. That also meant making choices about how we operate. How do you organize a growing team? Which projects are a good fit for us? And how do you ensure that everyone is moving in the same direction?

We experimented with roles and shared responsibility, became a cooperative, and learned along the way to make difficult decisions. Not every year was easy. But those experiences helped us gain a clearer understanding of what we’re good at and what we want to achieve.

Strategy took on a greater role in our work. First, we seek to understand what an organization wants to achieve, who it wants to reach, and what can inspire people to take action. From there, we create a story, campaign, website, or service that works.

That’s how we grew into the agency we are today: a team that helps governments, organizations, and entrepreneurs with a social mission to truly engage people.

Josworld becomes Jos

During our celebration week, we also unveiled our new name and our new story. After twenty years as Josworld, we’re moving forward as Jos.

Many people were already using that name. It fits the personal way we work together and our belief that communication starts with people: the people on our team, our clients, and everyone they want to reach.

Over the past twenty years, we’ve learned to channel our creativity. We ask better questions, make more conscious choices, and have a clearer sense of what we want to stand for. The curiosity and the desire to create something together are still very much alive.

You could see that during our celebration week, too. On Tuesday, we brought people together to share insights. On Friday, to celebrate, catch up, and reconnect. Bringing people together has been a constant thread running through our work for twenty years. Today, we know better than ever what we want to achieve with it.

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate and to everyone who has helped shape Jos along the way.

Everyone is Jos.



You can find more photos here and here.

First of its kind: Jos is the first communications agency to be officially recognized as a cooperative

Jos is the first communications agency in Belgium to be officially recognized as a cooperative. “The strength of creativity lies in collaboration. For us, a cooperative is therefore a logical choice,” says Thijs Snauwaert of Jos. 

Jos submitted an application to the National Council for Cooperatives (NRC) in 2021. The NRC recognizes cooperative companies that respect the fundamental values and principles of cooperative entrepreneurship. “So it’s a kind of quality label,” explains Snauwaert. “For us, it’s above all recognition of our values-driven approach to business.”

“For us, it’s above all a recognition of our values-driven approach to business.”

Why cooperative entrepreneurship? Snauwaert: “The cooperative principles of openness, democracy, and equality suit us perfectly. That’s not just about how we work, but also about who we work for. We stand for a people-centered economy.” 

Jos isn’t the first company to successfully operate as a cooperative. Well-known names like Ecopower, Multipharma, and Prik & Tik are examples of successful cooperatives. 

Creative companies are still rarely cooperatives. Cold feet? Snauwaert: “Competitors are often surprised when you tell them that Jos is a cooperative. However, it should be the most common legal structure in the creative sector. The strength of creativity lies precisely in collaboration. So we’re a proud trendsetter within the sector.” 

Jos operates on the principle of “one shareholder, one vote,” regardless of the amount of capital contributed. Most shareholders are also employees, or they have a strong connection to the organization. 

What does this mean in concrete terms for the employees? Snauwaert: “They have a long-term perspective and a say in the company’s future. The chance that they’ll ever be confronted one morning with a takeover, negotiated in the utmost secrecy by the owners for months on end, is virtually nonexistent.” 

More info:

https://cooperatiefvlaanderen.be/nrc-erkenning

Let’s take a moment for an interview! Over the past few months, our team has welcomed a new addition in the form of our intern, Clément, who brings a fresh perspective to our work. Today, we’d like to give him the floor so he can explain for himself how his internship at Jos went. He’ll tell us about his personal experiences, how his internship unfolded, and how we achieved the best results together. A fascinating conversation!

Can you tell us a little about yourself? What were you doing before you came to Jos?

Okay, a little about myself. My name is Clément Biral, and I’m from Lyon, France. I’ve been working on my master’s degree for about two years now, and as part of the program, I’m required to complete a 32-week internship, including twelve weeks abroad. That’s why I came to Jos.

To be honest, my educational path has been a bit chaotic. I first attended a technical high school, then switched to a technical program in multimedia, and now I’m at a private school for applied arts where I’m pursuing my master’s degree.

How did you discover Jos?

That’s a good question. It was when I was looking for my internship. I knew I didn’t want to go too far away, so I looked into different countries around France. I considered Switzerland, but it was too expensive, so I looked into Belgium, specifically Brussels. I searched for design agencies on Google Maps, and when I did, I found Jos right in the heart of Brussels, and I thought, “Whoa, okay, that looks cool.” So I went to their website, and that’s how I started learning about them.

What do you think was the main reason you chose Jos over other design agencies?

I think it was the values they showcased on their website. Their values were authentic, and you could really tell that from the projects they showcased on the website. They’re very socially engaged, but also deeply rooted in Brussels. I found that combination really fascinating, and it’s what really appealed to me.

What was your first impression when you started?

Here? I’ll try not to be too subjective, but my first impression was that it was very welcoming and relaxed. No, you know, “Zero Bullshit”? That was the slogan on their website, and that’s exactly what I found when I got here. People were laid-back, joking around, telling me things, very genuine. In short, an honest and sincere atmosphere that’s really cool to experience.

How does your experience here so far differ from your experiences at other companies?

I’ve done both paid work and internships by now, so I’ve gained quite a bit of experience. One of my first internships was at the Institut Lumière in Lyon, where the Lumière brothers invented the cinema, and I discovered that while you can have a very interesting workplace, the work itself can also be pretty boring. After that, I went to a government agency near my hometown of Lyon in the L’Alps region, where I worked on the audiovisual team. That’s how I got a sense of what it’s like to work for a government agency, in the public sector. It can be very boring, and a lot depends on political decisions, so that’s pretty unusual. After completing my degree in engineering, I did an internship at an agency that developed software to manage extras for movies. It was pretty unusual because it was during the pandemic, so everything was done remotely. Unfortunately, they didn’t leave a good impression on me. I’ve always seen it as “that’s just how it is in real life.” This is real life; this is work. And that’s not the kind of work I want to do. Okay, that’s not the kind of agency I want to be part of, and that’s not the kind of organization I like.

I think one of my best internships so far has been here in Jos, because it offers a completely different vision of a design agency than what we have in France. More human, “human-driven” as they say. When I worked at an audiovisual agency in France, it was pretty fun and friendly, but a bit monotonous. Sometimes we’d stay on set for five or six hours to shoot a commercial for, say, kitchens, and shoot the same scene over and over again.

It helped me realize what I don’t want to do and what I do want to do.

Is there anything in particular from your experience at Jos that stood out to you?

Yes. It’s the way they work. There’s no strict hierarchy; there’s no traditional structure with bosses. That carries over into the workplace: it’s not a typical office setup where the “boss” sits in a closed-off office and everyone else is elsewhere. No, everyone here works together in one shared space. Here, everyone has a say. When they choose projects or evaluate them, it’s not the boss who says, “Okay, we’ll do this, we’ll do that.” We discuss it all together, and that’s really what stood out to me and touched me in a certain way. It’s not about your status; it’s about who you are. We’re all equal, we’re all people, and it doesn’t matter if you’re an accountant or a designer; you’re part of the team. I think it’s truly wonderful, just one team with everyone.

What are you working on right now?

Right now? A few different things. At the moment, I’m trying to design a logo for a new federation of construction professionals. I’m also working on T-shirt designs for a campaign about the dangers of drinking. Yeah, various projects. They’re all very diverse and really interesting. Like I said, sometimes you have more hands-on work, but mostly here it’s just cool projects with creative ideas and companies that want eye-catching visuals. Something that really stands out. I think there’s a wide variety of projects here.

Has your experience here changed the way you approach a creative project?

Yes. I haven’t been here very long yet, so I haven’t really had time to put everything into perspective, but I get the impression that I’m approaching things differently now. By the way, I find feedback from my colleagues to be the best. Feedback from clients is one thing, but getting feedback from my colleagues means a lot to me. They speak from years of experience. Their guidance makes my designs both more appealing and of higher quality. I find my colleagues’ advice very positive. It’s practical experience that’s invaluable and really makes a difference.

Speaking of experiences, what have you learned from working here?

I really discovered the more professional side of the organization when it comes to planning. I’m truly fascinated by it, I’m a real workflow guy. I really love workflows. Here, everything is very structured; you have a cloud server where every file has a strict naming convention and date. That’s something I really discovered here. At some agencies, there’s much less structure. They just pass everything along, it’s just a mess of “Yeah, do you have this file?” “Hmm, maybe I have this file on this hard drive?” That’s just a messy way of working, actually, a huge mess. So yeah, that really changed things for me.

Also when it comes to the relationship with the client: how you handle their feedback. Sometimes certain clients come across as blunt, but really they just don’t know how to explain it exactly. Like, “It’s not the right color; I don’t like this color.” It’s not really advice; it’s more of an opinion, not exactly concrete feedback. So it’s important to be able to interpret the client’s feedback properly and to have the experience to ask the right questions, to figure out what they’re really trying to say. After that, it’s an art to put that feedback to work.

I recently had a unique experience: I got the chance to design a logo for the federation and attend the meeting with the clients. The process of coming up with a brand name together with the client was very interesting. Building engagement is incredibly important. It offers so much added value for a designer. So that’s the lesson I’m learning right now.

How does the collaboration with the team go?

The technical collaboration mainly takes place via Slack. My colleagues and I send each other messages asking, “Can you do this for me?” or “Can you finish that?” I worked with Agnieszka on a motion design, and we split the video into different sections so we could work on them together. I did one part and she did another. I sent my part to her, she gave me feedback, and I made the corrections and sent her the final version. So yes, the collaboration is very straightforward and well-established. I’d say it’s very smooth, it flows easily. They give constructive feedback that’s serious and professional. Even when something isn’t right, they’re very open about it.

“By working together, I’ve further developed my designs and my way of thinking.”

Working with them is truly wonderful. As I said before, the feedback isn’t criticism. It’s more about working on it yourself and figuring out how we can further enhance what you’ve done. Very productive feedback. It’s good to have an initial idea, a starting point, but sometimes you can’t stop there: you have to keep designing. Choose an alternative. That’s what design is all about, you can’t stop at the first idea. You have to be able to evolve a design. I think that’s where they’ve helped me the most.

By working together, I’ve further developed my designs and my way of thinking. It’s a very down-to-earth team to work with.

To follow up on that point: What’s the most important thing you’ve taken away from the experience of working here?

That’s an excellent question. For me, it’s this real-life inspiration, and while it might sound a bit cliché, it’s had a big impact. Before this, I did a couple of internships in France that weren’t really great, at organizations with a hierarchical structure and employees who weren’t really passionate about their work. It felt strange. What I’ve learned from this is that it’s important to encourage colleagues, but in a positive way. Not by pestering them or criticizing them, but by striving for the best for the company and the customers. It’s all about lifting each other up to a higher level, which helps everyone grow.

In contrast to what I experienced here, in France it felt as though people were pulling each other down to get ahead themselves. The French like to compare themselves, saying things like, “Yes, he’s good at this, but I’m better at that and that, and so on.”

What really inspires me here are two things: the structure of collaboration. Here, there’s no traditional hierarchy; everyone is equal and works together in a democratic environment. With this approach, we can encourage and help each other grow.

If I ever start my own business, I hope to be able to replicate this positive work environment. It’s not only pleasant, but also logical. The atmosphere is healthy, and there’s a culture of collaboration. That’s exactly what I’d like to create. In France, we can learn something from this positive attitude, because we sometimes tend to complain instead of working together.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Follow your dreams and work hard: those are the keys to keeping a smile on your face. Right now, I’m in a transitional phase, which can be a bit challenging at times. Although I really enjoy my current situation, I’ve faced some resistance in France from certain teachers who don’t want me to do an internship at certain places. They’re trying to limit my freedom of choice. In life, you have your goals and the support of friends and family, but there will also be people who don’t want to support you or who create obstacles.

Although those people think they’re doing the right thing, they’re stuck in their ways. One insight I’ve gained over the past few years is that age is just a number. Older people can offer valuable knowledge and advice, but we also need to be open to changes in the modern world. It’s important to listen to older people, but at the same time, follow your own path. If they hold you back, don’t let that discourage you; find a way to break through and forge your own path.

Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by outdated ways of thinking; instead, embrace new ideas and developments.

Interested in an internship? Contact us.