Years 2010–2015 - Design Forum Finland

Years of major projects 2010–2015

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–

2010

In autumn 2010, Design Forum Finland carried out a large design export project, Hirameki Design x Finland, at Tokyo Design Week.

The Japanese word hirameki means a moment of realisation, a spark or inspiration. In autumn 2010,

The project involved over sixty designers, design firms and export companies, making it the largest design export initiative in Finland up to that point. The goal was to support commercial cultural exports and promote collaborative projects between Finnish designers and companies in Japan. The Hirameki Design x Finland exhibition was organised in collaboration with the event venue, the Living Design Center OZONE in Tokyo. The exhibition was curated by designers Harri Koskinen and Ilkka Suppanen.

In addition to the exhibition, seminars, matchmaking events and promotional activities were organised. Hirameki-themed events and exhibitions, though on a smaller scale, continued to be held in Tokyo for the next three years.

Photo: Hirameki Design x Finland 2010, Living Design Center OZONE, photo Etsuro Endo

2012

In 2012 Helsinki was World Design Capital.

Design Forum Finland had been involved in a project led by the City of Helsinki in 2009, aiming to secure the designation of World Design Capital 2012 from the World Design Organization WDO (then known as the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design Icsid). Helsinki, with its partners Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti, won in a tough competition against Eindhoven in the Netherlands. An organising body and the International Design Foundation, led by Pekka Timonen, were established to create the theme year. “Embedding design in life” was chosen as the main message for the year.

Commissioned by WDC Helsinki 2012 organization, Design Forum Finland produced one of the main events of the year, the international Everyday Treasures exhibition, which was an Icsid Signature Event. A total of 23 countries from around the world showcased their design at the old power plant area in Suvilahti. In addition to the exhibitions, the countries organised a variety of events, ranging from lectures to parties. The exhibition was curated by Imu Design, and the architecture was handled by Aalto+Aalto.

At Suvilahti’s Kattilahalli, countries presented themselves under six common themes. In addition to the themes, the countries had the opportunity to create their own exhibitions, which were spread around Suvilahti’s buildings and the container village set up in the yard. In addition to the traditional exhibitions, there was also a city garden and a children’s playground, among other things. The container village also housed a café and a popup Design Forum Shop. The exhibition was free to attend, and during its eleven opening days it attracted 15,000 visitors.

World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 was an umbrella event that covered a vast array of events, exhibitions and projects. One of the most visible ones was the three-year Toimiva kaupunki (“Functional City”) project launched by the City of Helsinki, during which the first designers were hired for the City and design began to be recognised as a strategic competence and resource.

Photo: International Design House, container village at Suvilahti

2014

The Design Forum Shop was originally a small sales point for Finnish design and handicrafts in the corner of the exhibition space of Design Forum Finland on Fabianinkatu. When the exhibition activities moved to Sanoma House in 2000, the Shop received its first own store opposite the exhibition space.

When all of Design Forum Finland’s activities moved to one location at Erottajankatu 7 in 2005, the Shop got a 120 m² retail space with display windows. At street level, by Dianapuisto park, the design shop was able to arrange extensive product and designer presentations, themed campaigns and sales events.

The store had a café attached, and at the back, on the courtyard side, were the Design Forum Finland exhibition halls on two floors. Between 2005 and 2008, the Shop also had a small store at Helsinki Airport in collaboration with Nanso. In December 2008, the prestigious magazine Monocle ranked it the best airport gift shop in the world.

The Design Forum Shop offered a diverse and constantly changing selection of Finnish design, ranging from new releases to classics and from industrial design to unique products. At its best, it featured products from nearly 400 designers and companies. For designers, the Design Forum Shop was an important sales channel and for young, promising designers it provided an opportunity to demonstrate their skills.

The Design Forum Shop was a well-known and highly popular shopping destination for both tourists and locals, located at the heart of Design District Helsinki. However, it never became a profitable business. The Shop’s operations were discontinued in 2014.

Photo: Design Forum Shop in 2004, photo Rauno Träskelin

2014

Design Forum Finland had been publishing the Finnish Design Yearbooks, illustrating Finnish design, every other year since 2006. They featured current themes influencing design and presented new products, services, projects and phenomena.

Special attention was paid to the layout and appearance of the books – they were designed to be collectible design objects as well. The English-language books received a wide international distribution and also served as reference works. A total of five books were published. The Finnish Design Yearbook ’08–09, visual design by Dog Design, was included in the Finnish Book Art Committee’s Most Beautiful Books of 2008 selection.

In 2014, Finland was the theme country of the Frankfurt Book Fair, and there was a desire to showcase design in the programme as well. Among other things, Design Forum Finland produced 4 x Design Happy Hour design installations and a DF Shop popup stand built on the rack of a Pelago bicycle at the Finnish pavilion at the fair. Naturally, the Finnish Design Yearbook 2014–2015 was also displayed and available for sale at the pavilion. The event series was produced and created in collaboration with FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange, which coordinated Finland’s FINNLAND.COOL theme country project at the Frankfurt Book Fair, with support from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Photo: Design Happy Hour installation by Kustaa Saksi, photo Laila Alanen

2015

Two Nordic design organisations, Design Forum Finland and Iceland Design Centre, presented themselves together at Stockholm Design Week in February 2015. The goal of the We Live Here project was to find new forms of collaboration for design promotion.

We Live Here was an apartment in the centre of Stockholm on Regeringsgatan, decorated with Icelandic and Finnish design. The exhibition featured products from 120 Finnish and Icelandic contemporary designers, design agencies and companies. The apartment served as a home-like exhibition space and event platform, and its key themes included the unique characteristics of Finnish and Icelandic design, cohabitation and things being duplicated when people move in together.

During the eight days, ten events were held in the apartment: press and discussion sessions, a meeting of Nordic design organisations, events organised by partners and various networking opportunities. The exhibition was also open to the public. In total, there were over 2,000 visitors, and the exhibition received significant media coverage. The project was carried out in collaboration with Svensk Form, Stockholm Design Week, Stockholm Furniture Fair and Northern Light Fair. We Live Here was the last international design exhibition organised by Design Forum Finland.

Photo: We Live Here exhibition was insrtalled in an apartment on Regeringsgatan in Stockholm, photo Tanja Sipilä