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Design Year 2005 markets design know how to Finnish
companies
The Design Year’s campaign promotes the use of
design and markets Finnish top design know how to consumers and firms. The
campaign aims to make design part of everyday life and challenges Finnish
firms to use the services offered by the design industry.
Project
manager Tuire Huhta, Art directors Zoubida Benkhellat and Minna Lavola,
Copy Tommi Mäkinen (advertising agency PHS) and Graphic designer Marko
Salonen (Tango brand design agency) as well as Ilmo Valtonen (Dynamo
Identity) tell about the campaign.
1. The name of the Design
Year campaign is “the non-planed”. Why such a name?
Marko Salonen: It describes well something that is ”not designed”.
Ilmo Valtonen: It reflects a certain kind of everyday life.
Tuire Huhta: With everyday items, one remembers that design is
everywhere – not only in glass cabinets.
2. It is often
assumed that design is expert work and therefore difficult to market?
IV: Designers should finally realise that design can be marketed. Demand
is not created by sitting behind the desk. Instead, the market should be
approached aggressively.
Tommy Mäkinen: There is still
the strong belief that marketing makes design too commercial.
3.
What has been most challenging/ pleasing in the planning of the campaign?
TH : Most challenging has been to reconcile the small budget with the
length of the campaign. Most pleasing has been the creation of so many
good ideas.
MS: Most challenging was to find the
crystallizing lead idea, which is simple enough and can be presented
visually.
Zoubida Benkhellat : The timetable has been the
greatest challenge. Most pleasant has been the unreserved cooperation with
the customer.
TM: Most challenging was to build the overall
conception, which develops gradually and raises interest the whole year
through.
4. Lately, many advertising agencies have created their
own design agencies in Finland? What are your thoughts about this?
TH: I find this development quite all right, as long as the agencies
offer, in addition to graphic and visual design, other more extensive
design services.
IV: It is a clear sign that the role of
design in the whole communication process is significant and that design
is invested in. Additionally, design is more and more regarded as a part
of the marketing mix.
ZB: It’s great – there is still room
for design agencies in this country. Hopefully, firms each find their own
ways to use design.
5. What is the story of the modern Finnish
Design brand?
TH: The image of Finnish Design is still
largely based on the great men of the past. Today’s designers are not
brands such as Alvar Aalto. However, this is required for Finnish Design
to become part of our contemporary identity.
IV : To be
honest, the whole Finnish Design brand’s existence is questionable in
today’s world. Innovativeness, visionary thoughts, high tech and quality
should be highlighted here.
MS: Finnish engineering
expertise is high class. Joined together with high design know how, a
concept is created, which works all over the world.
ZB : It
is necessary to get rid of the strict and black-and-white design attitude.
“One has to be able to make it simple but one has to know how to be
playful, as well”, as Vuokko Nurmesniemi, famous Finnish fashion designer,
once has said.
TM: It takes 1 dl of ground braking design, 1
dl of firms sensing the opportunities offered by design, a spoon full of
luck, which are all mixed in an Aalto vase. Voilà, the new Finnish Design
image is ready.
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