Swedish design knows no bounds

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1 PHOTO: FRONT The Front page magazine rack for Kartell captures the turning pages of a magazine. DESIGN: Swedish design knows no bounds Diversity is the keyword of the Swedish design scene. Emotional values are now reckoned to be as important as function in Swedish craftsmanship and design in general. Everything is tested and retested, both aesthetic norms and traditional ways of working. Swedish crafts have seldom displayed the vitality or range of expression they display today. You can find everything from traditional crafts, with glass and Sami handicrafts two of the most popular, to designers working with exciting modern designs and materials.there are a number of reasons for this diversity. One is an attitude questioning established approaches in the crafts that used to be prevalent at Swedish craft colleges. Modern Swedish designers About ten years ago, more and more students and recent graduates began to shift their focus from a deep interest in technology, materials and function towards a new desire to tell a story with the things they made, to use these objects to comment on our times and their own activities. In the same process, commercial culture and its various manifestations were raised to an equal level with the more traditional aesthetics of Swedish craftsmanship, including the quest for something seen to be genuine and uncontrived. The boundaries between design, art, fashion and the crafts became more and more permeable. Famous designers Sweden has many talented designers working worldwide for Swedish companies such as IKEA, H&M and Sony Ericsson. Others work under their own name, for example the architects and designers Claesson Koivisto Rune and Thomas Sandell and the glass artist and designer Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, who produces ceramics, watercolors and textiles as well as painted glass and acrylic paintings. She has also decorated one of Sony Ericsson s cell phone models and British Airways aircraft tails. n 1

2 A new generation of designers A successful new generation is now following in the footsteps of the established designers. The designers Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken and Anna Lindgren together founded the Swedish design group Front. Their product design is based on experiences, discussions and experiments. Their best known products include the Pig tray, a pig that makes up the framework of a table, and the Horse lamp, a life-sized horse with a lampshade on its head, produced by Moooi. In 2007, Front won the prestigious Designer of the Future Award at Design Miami/Basel. In 2010, they won the Swedish Elle Deco Designer of the Year Award, the A&W Designer of the Year Award and the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize worth SEK 1 million (EUR 107,502/USD 150,404). Horse lamp by Front. PHOTO: FRONT PHOTO: monica förster Aurora by Monica Förster. Infinite curiosity Monica Förster s work is characterized by a strong sense of pure form mixed with infinite curiosity for new materials and technology. Her first design was a lamp that she made at home in her kitchen with a borrowed vacuum furnace. The lamp was called Silikon. She also attracted a lot of attention for her portable Cloud room that can be inflated in minutes and used for a meeting, concentration or relaxation, and packs away into a carrying bag. Monica Förster won the Wallpaper* Design Award 2010, Best Centerpiece, for her Aurora Candles for Liljeholmens. The sculptured tall candle becomes a burning work of art for the table. Focus on function The Ergonomidesign group has existed since 1969 and has as its aim to develop and design products that are based on real needs and capabilities. They work on everything from medical devices to strollers and cell phones. In 2010, Ergonomidesign and Baby Björn won the Red Dot Product Design Award for their innovative, functional Bassinet Harmony design. This is a children s bed that protects the child from sunlight and insects and is easy to fold up and travel with. Ergonomidesign is exhibiting Spot, its new take on a cane for the blind, at the Why Design Now? exhibition at the Cooper- Hewitt National Design PHOTO: Ergonomidesign AB Spot Blind Cane by Ergonomidesign. Museum in New York. The cane is equipped with artificial intelligence, enabling it to sense the environment and lead the blind person better. 2

3 Furniture design in development The molded Newton coffee table is an example of how Swedish furniture design has developed over the years. The table, which won the 2009 Nordic design prize, was designed by Staffan Holm and Dan Sunaga and developed for Karl Andersson & Söner. PHOTo: Karl andersson & söner Glass feminist In 2007, the glass-blower Åsa Jungnelius began working for Kosta Boda in the southern province of Småland. Jungnelius is an artist who wants to challenge prevailing taste and is sometimes called a glass feminist. Before she started working for Kosta Boda, she made a name for herself with objects such as huge glass lipsticks with the aim of discussing consumption. For Kosta Boda she designed the Make Up series, nail varnish bottles almost half a meter high in colored glass. PHOTo: kosta boda The coffee table Newton by Staffan Holm and Dan Sunaga. Fredrik Mattson's lamp PXL. PHOTO: Patrik Lindell PHOTO: fredrik mattson Another bright idea Another furniture designer who has attracted a lot of attention is Fredrik Mattson. He trained as a cabinet-maker at Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. Since 2002, Fredrik Mattson has been running his own design company with the focus on furniture design. Among other things, he is known for his brightly-colored PXL lamp, which he designed for Zero. Exhibiton stand 2010 by TAF for Stockholm Furniture Fair & Forum AID. A subtle touch to ordinary objects Gabriella Gustafson and Mattias Ståhlbom have been running their architecture and design studio TAF in Stockholm since TAF s aim is to make ordinary life less ordinary through subtle but effective changes in how products and architecture appear and function, for example in everyday objects such as tables, lamps and flowerpots. 3

4 PHOTo: norrgavel for companies, organizations and the fashion industry and under its own label. The Swedish clothes label Camilla Norrback was founded in 1999 by the Finland-Swedish designer Camilla Norrback. Her aim is to create sustainable garments while maintaining her artistic freedom as a designer. Furniture by Norrgavel. Norrgavel was started up in 1993 by Nirvan Richter and is operated from a humanist, ecological and existential point of view. The company sells furniture designed by Richter and interior fittings. It has a clear philosophy of sustainability and was the first company in Sweden to be awarded the Nordic Ecolabel (Svanen) for home furniture. In 1999, it was awarded Möbelbranschens Miljöpris (the Swedish furniture trade s environmental prize). This was awarded in partnership with WWF. n Sustainable development Sustainable development is a major challenge for many designers today. More and more Swedish producers are choosing to work on the basis of a deliberate environmental policy. Swedish designers have come to work more and more with sustainable development. This both adds value to their products and boosts their international competitiveness. The designer becomes a natural link between producer and consumer. In the long term, therefore, good design solutions can contribute to sustainable development. Peepoo bag by Anders Wilhelmson. PHOTo: peepoople Anders Wilhelmson, architect and professor at the Royal Institute of Technology s School of Architecture in Stockholm, designed the Peepoo bag. Peepoo is a mobile toilet consisting of degradable bioplastic with a thin layer of urea on the inside. The urea starts a degradation process, raises the ph value and kills bacteria, viruses and parasites that may cause disease. The idea is for Peepoo to be used in the enormous slum cities in the Third World, where excrement spreads disease and pollutes the water. Dem Collective was founded by Annika Axelsson and Karin Stenmar in 2004 with the aim of combining ecology, ethics, quality and good design. Dem Collective is now a textile brand making clothes under good conditions Award winning rubber floor The Swedish design and innovation studio Apokalyps Labotek was awarded a prestigious prize in the Wallpaper* Design Awards Each year Wallpaper* Magazine awards prizes to the best designs in the world in a number of categories. Apokalyps Labotek won in the Best Recycling Design category for its The Parquet floor, made of recycled car tires. The Parquet Multicolor by Apokalyps Labotek. PHOTo: Apokalyps Labotek 4

5 DID YOU KNOW? Swedish fashion is big abroad Sweden has no shortage of talented fashion designers. The major ones include the label Filippa K, founded in 1993 by the designer Filippa Knutsson. Filippa K s business idea is to design, manufacture, communicate and sell commercial fashion garments and accessories with their own, timeless style. Today Filippa K is sold in 20 countries, has 40 brand stores in Europe and the US, and is represented by more than 750 selected retailers worldwide. one of the 100 best H&M has acquired the Swedish denim brand Cheap Monday, where Ann-Sofie Back is head designer. She also works under her own name and has been listed as one of the 100 most interesting designers in the world. PHOTO: Annika Aschberg PHOTO: cheap monday Wide range of design courses Sweden has many design and art colleges with good reputations. The courses are very popular and places are in great demand. Konstfack One of the oldest art and design colleges in Sweden is Konstfack, founded back in The college is just south of Stockholm city center and offers courses at bachelor s and master s levels. It has around 900 students and 200 employees. Umeå Institute of Design Umeå Institute of Design is a much sought-after design college in northern Sweden that provides four academic programs focusing exclusively on industrial design and related specializations. The college was founded in 1989 and has become established as one of the leading institutions in the world in its field, attracting students from all over the world. Beckmans College of Design Another popular college is Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. The college was founded in 1939 by Anders Beckman, who was a pioneer in the Important design organizations young Swedish advertising industry. The students at Beckmans learn to rely on their own imagination and creativity, to develop their own personal style in close cooperation with others, not only in their own group but also students from other disciplines at the college. A large number of students graduate every year and subsequently become everything from art directors, designers and fashion designers to illustrators, artists and stylists. The School of Design and Crafts The School of Design and Crafts is part of the University of Gothenburg. The craft courses at the school include jewelry, textiles and ceramics. The Swedish School of Textiles The Swedish School of Textiles in Borås is very popular among students wishing to study textiles. The school offers expertise in all textile fields from craft and design to technology, production, finance and marketing. n The Swedish Society of Crafts and Design Svensk Form is the oldest design society in the world, founded in 1845, and publishes the design magazine FORM. Svensk Form collaborates with the Swedish Museum of Architecture in Stockholm to promote the role of architecture and design in society. The Swedish Industrial Design Foundation SVID aims to improve awareness within the private and public sectors of the importance of design as a competitive tool and to encourage them to integrate design methodology into their activities. Its target groups include industry and commerce, local government, designers, universities and colleges. SVID operates across the country from its own regional offices and partner offices with a range of local players. Knitted designs Sandra Backlund is known for her hand-knitted, oversized designs. She has had her own label since 2004.She has attracted attention on the international market and has worked with people including Marc Jacobs and Emilio Pucci. The Tequila Magnus de Brito designed the smart kayak The Tequila, which won a Red Dot Award in The kayak is unique in that it can quickly be taken apart or converted from a single kayak to a double kayak. ILLUSTRATION: MAGNUS DE BRITO 5

6 did you know? Jeans and furniture The label Acne saw demand for denim on the market and designed 100 different unisex jeans. The company was founded in Stockholm in Acne s head designer Jonny Johansson and his design team create the design that is now familiar worldwide. Their first furniture collection was presented in spring It is in five parts and employs the methods of their fashion design. CableCup Jonas Forsman s and Lars Wettre s smart CableCup design has enjoyed great success both nationally and internationally. CableCup is a user-friendly ceiling cup with a smooth design for pendant lamps. In 2010, CableCup won both the Design S award and the international Red Dot Award, also called the Nobel Prize for designers. PHOTO: acne Swedish design awards With so many designers around, it is important to reward those who really stand out. The awards are also considered to be significant for the development of Swedish design. Design S The Swedish national design award Design S rewards creative, innovative problem solutions in various areas of products, services and environments, regardless of design discipline. It focuses on design for sustainability issues including climate, the environment, the welfare of society and the long-term quality of life. The Design S award, which targets professional designers and producers, is announced by Svensk Form and SVID every other year. Instead of prize money, the nominees are rewarded with long-term exposure, both in Sweden and worldwide. This includes an exhibition that tours the world, displaying products and processes. The aim of the award is also to inspire the business community and decisionmakers in the public sector to use design to boost growth, competitiveness and welfare. Stora Designpriset The Grand Award of Design is another prestigious award. It is presented annually to successful Swedish companies and their design suppliers. The aim of the award is to highlight the important role played by industrial design in product development and profitability. The award is presented by the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries (Teknikföretagen) in collaboration with SVID and Svensk Form. The Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize This award is presented annually by the Röhsska Museum in Göteborg for innovative, outstanding achievement in arts, crafts and design in the Nordic region. The prize is worth SEK 1 million. Ung Young Swedish Design It is a distinction to be part of Ung Young Swedish Design, a recurrent traveling exhibition of work chosen by a jury. The aim is to highlight and reward young designers. Special consideration is paid to long-term sustainable development and green thinking in all processes in the projects. The exhibition is a co-production by Svensk Form, Stockholm Furniture Fair and Form/Design Center. n Other useful links Blås&Knåda (Organization and gallery with ceramics and studio glass) The Design Archive The Röhsska Museum of Fashion, Design and Decorative Arts Form/Design Center Inger Molin Gallery Co-operative of Swedish professional craftsmen Glassware and art glass Metal design co-operative Metal craft Swedish Fashion Council Nationalmuseum/ National Museum of Fine Arts (Swedish art and design) Sweden s largest museum of cultural history Swedish Modern Silver Contemporary Swedish jewelry Scandinavian Design Stockholm Furniture Fair The Swedish Association of Designers Published by the Swedish Institute Updated December 2010 FS 19 More facts can be found on Copyright: Published by the Swedish Institute at All content is protected by Swedish copyright law. The text may be reproduced, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast in any media for non-commercial use with reference to. However, no photographs or illustrations may be used. The Swedish Institute (SI) is a public agency that promotes interest and confidence in Sweden around the world. SI seeks to establish cooperation and lasting relations with other countries through strategic communication and exchange in the fields of culture, education, science and business. Further information about Sweden:, the Swedish embassy or consulate in your country, or the Swedish Institute, Box 7434, SE Stockholm, Sweden Phone: Mail: [email protected]