Design - thisisFINLAND

Art you can be a part of: Designers discuss Finnish video game Alan Wake and the evolution of games

They reflect society, they make us cry, they make us hold our breath in anticipation. Video games combine several forms of art, but they’re built on the power of interactive storytelling. Makers of the global hit series Alan Wake from the Finnish video game developer Remedy Entertainment tell us how it’s done.

Life & society Webpick

Finnish architects win international award for sustainable archipelago village

The Majamaja concept, a Finnish sustainable holiday village, draws its inspiration from the Helsinki Archipelago, where it is located.

Arts & culture Technology

Finnish university project seeks to understand video game culture

With the increasing popularity and impact of video games on today’s cultural landscape comes the need to study and analyse them, too.

2005

The year Helsinki Design Week, Scandinavia's biggest design fest, was founded

Business & innovation Innovation

Made in Finland: Meet the designer of the iconic Snowflake reflector, which popularised a life-saving innovation

Kalervo Elias Suomela merged form, function and fashion in the classic Snowflake pedestrian reflector. That’s how his story became intertwined with one of Finland’s most successful and beneficial inventions.

Life & society Finnishness

7 wow-worthy Finnish saunas: Where steam meets interior design

Sauna is a Finnish national pastime, and location can make a sauna exceptional – but so can design. We peek inside seven styles of saunas in various corners of Finland.

1987

The year Design Forum Finland started promoting Finnish design

Arts & culture Design

Fiskars village, a stronghold of Finnish design, combines art, artisanry and architecture in a summer biennial

Knots, knits and tiny houses are in the spotlight at the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale, a sensory adventure inviting visitors to see beauty in overlooked details. Also: The story of the Adidas logo’s Finnish origins.

Arts & culture Fashion

Bold prints and sustainability: Finnish design house Marimekko celebrates at 70

Finnish textile and clothing brand Marimekko marks 70 bold and colourful years in 2021. We talk with Mika Ihamuotila, the chair of the board, about the company’s history and future – and about his love for the Finnish archipelago.

Arts & culture Festivals

How two festivals in Helsinki brought art, music and design to audiences, despite obstacles

Two beloved fixtures on Helsinki’s early autumn calendar – the Helsinki Festival and Helsinki Design Week – shared outdoor exhibitions, pop-up gift concerts and other memorable experiences while respecting pandemic restrictions.

2015

Helsinki Fashion Week held for the first time

Source: Helsinki Fashion Week