Finnish Design Yearbook 2010-11

 

The Finnish Design Yearbook is one of the main sources of information on new Finnish design and designers, manufacturers and the latest trends. The third edition of the series, Yearbook 2010-11, has been published and is available from Design Forum Finland, bookstores, online shopping outlets and major Finnish design events. The book is in English only. It is produced and published by Design Forum Finland.

 

The Finnish Design Yearbook 2010-11 presents nearly 200 products, designers and manufacturers. Most items are in production; some are prototypes. The Yearbook also contains articles by design specialists and interviews of influential design personalities.

 

Editor Anne Veinola writes in the introduction on new directions in Finnish design that the Yearbook illustrates: “… now [design] is purposeful, active and opinionated. Design has chosen to be a significant part of the creation of the future, and it is well aware of its scope to act as a significant tool in that creation.”

 

The Yearbook examines Finnish design as a tool from four viewpoints:

 

Design has a role in creating a better life. It does so by improving our surroundings and our daily lives in various ways. Design is a means of expression and creativity. Design shapes the future and can have far-reaching impacts. Design is also a business tool, creating profits, jobs and competitive advantage.

 

Design Forum Finland’s CEO Mikko Kalhama writes about the spread of “Design Thinking” in society, commenting on World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 in this context: “The upcoming design capital year doesn’t just mean that the greater Helsinki area will be Finland’s capital of design; rather, the chosen theme [of ‘embedded design’] will be used to show the world how design is a part of ‘the air we breathe’.”

 

Pekka Timonen, Director of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, comments in one of the interviews: “The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 project is underpinned by a common desire to make the greater Helsinki area into a world leader and a model of how we benefit from design as an engine for cultural, social and economic development.”