Years 2001–2006 - Design Forum Finland

The turn of the millennium 2001–2006

The early years of the Society 1875–1900
Exhibition activities begin 1932–1939
The birth of Finnish Design 1951–1959
Design takes a stand 1963–1975
Finland Designs and Design Forum is established 1979–1993
Classics and new trends 1993–2000
The turn of the millennium 2001–2006
Internationalisation initiatives 2007–2010
Years of major projects 2010–2015
Strategy changes 2015–

2001

The idea for ARMI, a shared information centre for architecture, construction and design, originated from an initiative by Anne Stenros, who was the CEO of Design Forum Finland at the time.

The planning of the project began in 1999, with the goal of constructing the centre in Helsinki’s Katajanokka district, in the Kanavaterminaali area.

The building was intended to serve city residents, professionals and tourists alike by providing comprehensive information on architecture, construction and design. In addition to Design Forum Finland, the project parties included the Museum of Finnish Architecture, Rakennustietosäätiö foundation, the Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA), the Finnish Association of Civil Engineers (RIL), Ornamo, Grafia and the City of Helsinki.

Design Forum Finland’s planned share of the ARMI building’s facilities was significant, totalling 1,800 m². The intention was for each party to secure funding independently for their share of the space and to establish a mutual property company for the project. An architectural competition was held in 2001 for the building. A total of 153 proposals were received, and the jury selected JKMM’s entry “Lukko” as the winner, designed by Asmo Jaaksi, Samuli Miettinen and Juha Mäki-Jyllilä.

To advance the project, the architecture, construction and design information association ARMI was established in 2004. Its purpose was “to promote collaboration and visibility in architecture, construction and design, and to create new opportunities to improve the quality and competitiveness of the built environment”.

However, the construction project had to be abandoned quite soon, as some of the project partners were unable to secure funding for their share. However, ARMI continued its operations as a collaboration body for the fields. Among other things, it organised ARMI forums, was involved in promoting research in the fields and took a stance on issues pertaining to the built environment. The association ceased its operations in 2015.

Photo: JKMM Oy, Lukko proposal for the centre, image from an article in Form Function Finland magazine 1/2002

2004

The Finnish Society of Crafts and Design established the English-language magazine Form Function Finland in 1980 to showcase Finnish design, architecture and visual arts to international audiences.

Its sister publications included Books from Finland and Finnish Music Quarterly. These three publications were instrumental in extensively promoting Finnish culture internationally. The editors-in-chief of the magazine over the years were Barbro Kulvik-Siltavuori, Anne Stenros and Anne Veinola. The visual design was handled by Pekka Vuori, Kalervo Katajavuori and Herbie Kastemaa.

The target audience of the magazine, which was published four times a year and distributed to over 70 countries, included influencers, design experts and professionals, as well as design enthusiasts in Finland and abroad. At its peak, the magazine’s print run was 3,000 copies.

The last actual volume of Form Function Finland magazine was published in 2004. In 2005, the magazine was published by Image Kustannus Oy. It was initially released under the name FIN and later in collaboration with P.À.P. magazine. The publication of the magazine was discontinued after 2005.

image: Form Function Finland 3–4/2000, cover, Herbie Kastemaa

2004

In autumn 2004, two design-related websites were launched as joint projects: www.finnishdesign.fi and www.designforbusiness.fi.

www.designforbusiness.fi was a service platform aimed at SMEs, offering information and models for business development through the opportunities provided by design and design services. It was founded by Design Forum Finland, the University of Art and Design Helsinki, the Design Museum, Grafia, Ornamo, Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Lapland.

www.finnishdesign.fi, on the other hand, was a directory service focused on Finnish design. Initially, it served as the official website for the Year of Design 2005 and later became an independent entity. Its shareholders included Design Forum Finland, the University of Art and Design Helsinki, the Design Museum, Grafia, Ornamo, the Finnish Crafts Organisation Taito and Lahti University of Applied Sciences/Institute of Design and Fine Arts.

Design Forum Finland was responsible for coordinating and managing both online services and the collaboration. However, maintaining the websites proved to be quite labour-intensive, and they did not function as dynamically as originally intended. The collaboration on the websites was concluded in 2008.

2005

The Year of Design 2005 was a year of events and campaigns dedicated to design in Finland.

It was initiated by Ilpo Santala, who was the CEO of Design Forum Finland at the time. The initiative was inspired by similar theme years being held simultaneously in other Nordic countries.

The goal of the Year of Design was to improve the industry’s visibility, promote business opportunities and increase the use of design as a boost to companies’ competitiveness. The theme year served as the culmination of the Design 2005! programme and a way to illustrate the results achieved through the programme to the general public.

The year was a nationwide project that also had Nordic and global dimensions. The project involved a wide range of partners, including businesses, organisations, media representatives, municipalities and cities. The patron of the year was Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.

The Year of Design consisted of numerous exhibitions, competitions, publications, events and projects. Other projects included MTV’s Children’s News in April–May 2005, produced in collaboration with Torpparinmäki Primary School, and the Design Off evening on MTV in October, which demonstrated the absence of design.

Photo: Illustrations to Design On / Off campaign, photo Joanna Moorhouse

2005

Design District Helsinki is a hub for creative industries and a neighbourhood association that includes members ranging from design shops and galleries to studios, design offices, museums, restaurants and hotels.

The District originated from an initiative by Design Forum Finland’s CEO Ilpo Santala when DFF moved to the heart of Helsinki’s creative services hub at Yrjönkatu 7. The association was founded in 2005 and initially included 62 local operators.

The purpose of the work was to raise awareness of the area as Helsinki’s design district. The association published a map of the area and organised various activities, such as Late Night Shopping evenings, Christmas season kick-off celebrations, a variety of public events and walking tours. The District quickly established itself as one of Helsinki’s most popular tourist destinations. The activities of the association were led by Design Forum Finland from 2005 to 2014.

Image: Design District Helsinki’s visual identity was by Vänskap

2006

The first Vaasa Award of design journalism was presented in 2006.

The initiative came from industrialist and design activist Krister Ahlström, and the competition aimed to enhance the relevance, informativeness and impact of design journalism. The competition was part of the City of Vaasa’s 400th anniversary celebrations, and the City held it in collaboration with the National Council for Architecture and Design, Design centre MUOVA, the University of Art and Design Helsinki and Design Forum Finland. The first competition received 64 entries, two of which were in Swedish. The competition was organised a few times, the last one in 2013.