We are a group of exchange students at the University of Lapland, who came from around the world with one shared goal - to learn more about Finnish design and Arctic culture.
Our assignment was to design a gift concept for the University of the Arctic which would be used by the Student Ambassadors to represent the network. The gift concept should represent the values of UArctic, and the products should reflect Finnish and Arctic design.
The project task was divided amongst groups; each one mixed with art and design students from different backgrounds and from various fields of study. The challenge was to work together to create mutual grounds and form a cohesive design, whilst still maintaining our own personal opinions and points of views.
During the period of the Finnish Design course we were given lectures about different design aspects in the North. We were also taught about the sustainable materials used in Finnish design, in addition to the methods and techniques commonly used in the Arctic region.
Throughout the task, we worked together to apply our knowledge to our designs. All of our ideas have been constructed using natural and local materials, with sustainability being number one of the values when designing for the UArctic.
The exhibition opens at the University of Lapland on Monday, February 22 at 4 pm.
More information:
University Teacher Milla Johansson
milla.johansson@ulapland.fi