Muotoilun vuosi 2005Design Year 2005CampaignDesign 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.
