Design belongs to everyone
The first Helsinki Design Week event was held in 2005 under the direction of Kari Korkman.The largest design festival in the Nordic countries, Helsinki Design Week brings design closer to people. - We wish to remove unnecessary elitism from design: design is part of everyday life, but not prosaic, Director Kari Korkman says.
Helsinki Design Week was held for the first time in 2005, when the city also celebrated the Finnish year of Design.
- Thanks to it, we had a brisk takeoff and a plenty of attention, Korkman tells.
According to Korkman, the key to the event's growth and development is in bringing together different fields of expertise. Helsinki Design Week deals for instance with architecture, product design, fashion, graphic design and service design.
- At first the Design Week reached mostly design professionals and heavy users of design. Now the audience has expanded, so we can speak of an event directed to all city dwellers.
Story sells
Helsinki Design Week 2010, which will be held in August-September, invites design professionals and the general public to a week of events centred around the theme of storytelling. Korkman emphasizes that many obscure and complicated issues are best explained through storytelling.
- "Story sells" may already be a cliché. Behind every design there is an interesting story: where the product originated, what was its inspiration, and how was the outcome reached?
The stories will not be left hanging up in the air.
- Writer Kari Hotakainen will write a series out of the stories, which will hopefully help the readers to realize what our aim is. Design is part of everyday life, everywhere and it belongs to everyone.
Turning heads towards the future
Design is also a strategic tool for competitive businesses. The week, which will consist of several events, exhibitions, presentations, art installations and publications will offer design professionals a chance to bring out their expertise. The aim is to improve the general operational prerequisites in the field.
Korkman promotes the new building, which will be inaugurated on the opening evening, to be the highlight of the week.
- American and Finnish architect graduates have read our national epos Kalevala, and inspired by it, built the modern new building Kalevankehto in Seurasaari.
The Design week will turn heads towards the future, and particularly towards 2012, when Helsinki will shine as the World Design Capital.
- Many companies and private individuals want to take part in the design week and during it, develop new event concepts for 2012.
