Studio serves small design entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship presents independent design actors with plenty of challenges: Where to find partners for projects?

Where to meet potential customers without worrying about a small basement office scaring off buyers interested in prototypes? How to network and develop competence by learning from the work of others? How to develop international contacts and take design expertise to larger markets?

Office towers and various incubators provide opportunities for networking and a social work community, but freelancer designers and small design companies have never had a space that combines work and exhibition space, meeting rooms and the chance for training and sales.

Studio, which opened on Pursimiehenkatu on Wednesday, offers a comprehensive solution to the biggest challenges facing a small, independent designer. The space includes a design incubator, galley, office tower, meeting place, creative conference space and a networking centre – and it is intended solely for designers.

In addition to providing a central location and clear address for people interested in a designer’s work, the office tower organises seminars and other events that are of concrete professional benefit to the people working there. The planned exhibitions and other events encourage the public to enter the building and see the work of the designers.

The space also has corporate partners who can make use of the meeting facilities and simultaneously have the opportunity to learn about the plans of the designers operating in the space.

During the design capital year, the gallery will host the Liminal exhibition, which is part of the official WDC Helsinki 2012 programme.