Design that engage people and develop communities – that was the heading when Daniel Byström from DBD/Design Nation was invited as key note speaker at Business Swedens event; Scandinavian Light and Design in Vienna November 7th 2013. Arranged together with the Swedish and Norwegian Embassies. About 500 registered guests was attending the event that was held in fantastic Semperdepot – Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. The guests was architects, designers, purchasers. Among the other speakers were norwegian designer Vibeke Skar and  Sweden’s Ambassador to the United States 2007-2013 Jonas Hafström. Participating exhibitors was Swedish and Norwegian producers of furnitures and lightnings.

Except of showing the characteristics of nordic design aesthetics, Daniel talked about our way of design thinking, the reasons and methods when working in design processes. He explained what community design is about, and how it always must be a sustainability focus in several layers in every design project. In his role as chairman of the Swedish Association of Designers, Daniel also showcased good design examples from contributed from Swedish design studios. There were 65 examples containing everything from sustainable products, concepts, fashion, graphic designs, packaging, services. The speak was focusing on the question – What can design do?  The question isn’t what design is, but what design can do. Designers are practitioners of an applied process of creative skills; researching, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing and then conceptualizing, testing and communicating solutions. We live in a world full of opportunities. Design can be used to connect to people, engage and develop communities and regions. How do we utilize the creativity of the community? How do we create shared visions? How do we make real sustainable products and environments?

Daniel Byström Design / Design Nation participated on the conference – Make it Happen 25-28 September 2012. Daniel was one of the keynote speakers on the topic Destination Design and he also lead a full day workshop for the community of East Iceland. The audience was creative thinkers from East Iceland and also many international attendees, well renowned specialists within design and regional development. More about the project – www.make.is and www.creativecommunities.is

Here is a film about the conference by Alice Masters:

Make It Happen – Creative Thinking Conference in East Iceland from Disegno magazine on Vimeo.

In beginning of March I traveled to Iceland to work in the project Creative Communities. I went together with my colleague Victor from Nässjöakademin, who is one of the partners in the project. My part was to lead a four day workshop in Egilsstadir on east Iceland, with participants from the area. It was a very inspiring trip and we got a fantastic welcoming reception. The views was extraordinary, Iceland is really a fairytale landscape. I left with with a strong desire to come back, I got a lot of friends and I started to really care about the region.

Since we were on Iceland we also fitted in to stay in Reykjavik for some days. We stayed in the apartment at the Swedish Ambassador’s Residence. On behalf of The Swedish Association of Designers and the Scandinavian Design Alliance I visited Iceland Design Centre – Hönnunarmidstöd – where we had a meeting with the managing director Halla Helgadóttir, Auður Edda Jökulsdóttir- Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Jón Ásbergsson – Promote Iceland. The Swedish Ambassador Anders Ljunggren was also arranging a dinner event where we got a lot important design related connections.

We also made some study visits to schools with design profiles; Listahaskoli – Iceland Academy of the Arts, Taekniskolinn and Idnskolinn in Hafnarfjördur.

It is exciting with all the opportunities and stuff going on between Sweden and Iceland on different levels. As you understand, I had a very good trip – but also a very work intensive. Next time I gonna fit in some days off – just for looking around this beautiful country. Hopefully I will be back in September, and no matter what I will definately attend to the Design March 14-17 March 2013.

The lake next to the Hotel in Egilsstadir where the sea monster ”Lagarfljotsormurinn” hides – video proof

Hafnarfjördur Eystri

Fish Factory – www.fishfactory.org

Interior from the Fish Factory

The enthusiastic project manager of Creative Communities and a bunch of other design related projects on East Iceland – Lára Vilbergsdóttir.

It’s been a while since my last post on the blog. Not because I am dead, contrariwise I feel very alive. After a well needed holiday in January, I have been busy with clients, students and fairs. In beginning of February I attended the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Lots of good stuff to see, and above all – very nice to meet all dear design colleagues! My old pals Form Us With Love invited to a party on Arkitekturmuseet. I must say I really admire them and their work!

I have also been travelling around in Småland – Emmaboda, Växjö, Nybro, Nässjö and not at least the Kingdom of Furnitures – Möbelriket – Lammhult where I brought design students to from Nässjö for a field trip. We were guided by the king him self – Johan Sjöberg – who is very entusiastic and passionate in developing the region and the design related business. We visted Lammhults Möbel where we were guided by CEO Åke Jansson, and at last Svenssons i Lammhult. The students and I were very pleased with the reception we got. Thank you all!

Bento Chair by F.U.W.L and One Nordic Furniture Company

From the Furniture fair – storing system by Imeüble, Bjørn Jørund Blikstad

A classic with a new look

Nice apprentice work

Comet by Gunilla Allard and Lammhults Möbel

Dexter by Andreas Farkas and Lammhults Möbel

Besides my work with design commissions I am also consulting for Nässjö Träcentrum where I do courses in design. The educations are connected to Jönköping University. As a part of the educations we work close to the industry and regularly do study visits. Recently I arranged a trip to Stockholm for the students, we filled a big bus and left early in the morning. First we visited Materialbiblioteket where Björn Florman took good care of us. Materialbiblioteket offers help and service for students, designers and architects to get knowledge of new materials, and to be updated on development of new materials and technology with opportunity to touch and study samples. A very inspiring place that can be recommended for a visit! Since Materialbiblioteket is situated in the same building as Konstfack at Telefonplan we stayed and had a look in the facilities with guidance of Thomas Herrström who teach industrial design at the school. After lunch we went to the newly built design hotel Nobis at Norrmalms Torg, where the famous bureau CKR has made the interior. That visit really made great impressions on all the students, it is really an amazing building and we also got to see the suite – available from €2800 per night! Before the trip back home we made a last visit on White Architects at Norra Hammarbyhamnen where industrial designer Björn Tegnell informed the students about different projects, about the company’s building which is built and designed by White themselves, and also made an interesting lecture about light design.

As you understand it was a long and exciting day full of new impressions and when the bus returned home to Nässjö and Jönköping all the students where very satisfied and tired.

Materialbiblioteket - The Library of materials

Konstfack – University College of Arts, Crafts & Design

Nobis Hotel – The Lobby, Chandelier from Orrefors, design Gunnar Cyrén, 1960

White Architects

My work within design has taken me to many places. I have seen a lot and learned more! That has given me a sound experience and insight to a lot of different areas, which in my opinion is also one of the key factors to understand and manage the design process. To gather knowledge about market aspects, materials, production techniques, and not at least about the users – the people who respond and connects to the products and services we develop.

My approach is to be open minded and not afraid to get involved in new areas. Besides doing commissions for clients, I also teach and give lectures in design related topics. I am engaged in regional development, creating business networks, promoting culture and creativity, and making meetings and events and so on.  In addition I am a member of the board in the Swedish Association of Designers where I am representative in international networks, and just recently I was elected to vice chairman of the board.

Well what can I say? I like to be involved and affect…  and I am very happy to get the opportunity to meet all the interesting and skilled people. And I look forward to upcoming exciting meetings and projects. But first I will try to squeeze in some holidays… enjoy the summer all of you out there!

Here is a picture of Carina Oscarsson elected to Chairman of the board for the Swedish Association of Designers and me, elected to vice chairman. From the annual meeting in June.

When the Support Association for SVID had the annual general meeting it took place on SVT – Sveriges Television – the Swedish public service television company. I was there representing the Swedish Association of Designers. Besides the meeting we also got a presentation of the development and design process of the award winning web broadcasting service SVT Play.

Lisa Lindström, CEO from Doberman – the agency who has been involved in creating SVT Play – learned us more about digital service design and the work behind the scenes. Stefan Kervefors, production manager for SVT Play showed us the historic perspective and told us the story from the process. Also participating from SVT Erik Hedin, Peter Wissmar and Mats Liljengren.

Service Design is an interesting subject indeed - and it is very instructive to see how it can be implemented. Also it is thought-provoking how many services easily could be enhanced by putting in some knowledge about design and human centered interaction. SVT Play is a very good example of Service Design, proved by winning the award Design S last year, but there are also a lot of areas unexplored – not only connected to web and interaction design, but also to product design and all of the other everyday experiences we meet.

So, I went back to Copenhagen last week. This time representing Nässjö Träcentrum in the project Creative Communities. The project is about developing the design related businesses and educations on east Iceland. Very exiting! I met a group of five very nice women from Iceland who are involved in and managing the project, and our excellent hosts for the week Axel Andreas Beck and Peter Koppel from Vaeksthus Copenhagen.

The program was really interesting with a lot of learning and time to share experiences. We made field trips to, among other, Seidenfaden Design, CPH Design, Danish Crafts, Danish Design Centre and Designers Zoo. Also we got educated in  board work, mentorship and the business development tool Vaeksthjulet. As we had all these scandinavian/nordic friends gathered,  I invited Steinar from Danish Designers to help me inform about the Scandinavian Design Alliance that are in the pipeline.

The weather was icy cold but Copenhagen is still a very beautiful and interesting city, filled with top edge scandinavian design. Thank you all involved, for some very inspiring days. Specially to you, Peter and Axel, for putting together the program and taking care of us!

Troels tells us the recipe for building a successful design company as Seidenfaden. It is a very impressing journey they have done.

Lars Thøgersen shows the design thinking of CPH Design and their work, much from the aviation industry for Scandinavian Airlines.

From the Crafts Collection at Danish Crafts

Visit to Danish Design Center

Karsten Lauritsen tells us more about Designers Zoo

Some good examples of danish crafts and design from among others Anne Black and Ditte Fischer

Happy Icelanders in a cold but beautiful Copenhagen

One of the coolest stairs I have ever seen at HAY Copenhagen…

I just had two very inspiring and informative days. Yesterday we got a visit at Nässjö Träcentrum, the school where I teach, from Materialbiblioteket (The Library of materials in English). Björn Florman showed us exciting new materials and talked about the future trends. He had brought samples of plastics, fibres, fabrics, composites or various metals, and my students had the chance to be inspired and come up with creative thoughts and ideas for new applications. If you are in Stockholm, a visit to Materialbiblioteket is to recommend, situated in the same building as Konstfack at Telefonplan.

And today, I participated on Regiondagarna 2011 – a conference focusing on regional questions and development of the trade and industry. First I heard Karin Voltaire, representing Svenska Turistföreningen – the Swedish Association for Tourism. She presented the new Strategies for developing the Swedish Tourism Industry. I have heard and read a lot of it before, but I got more information and understanding now. Also there was a very good  speech from Cecilia Hermansson, senior economist at Swedbank. Sweden has managed to come out strong from the financial crisis and we are a role model for other countries. Regiondagarna was held in my own hometown Västervik at the beautiful environment at Gränsö Slott.

It has become a tradition. Every year at this point people from Swedish furniture industry meet up in the heart of Småland, in Lammhult for the annual Möbelriksdag – the Furniture Parliament. This year about 300 participants did show up deep into the dark Småland forest in the big entrance hall of Lammhults/Abstracta on January 4th, well done! Möbelrikstagen is arranged by Möbelriket – the Kingdom of Furniture – a trading region and a network of design and furniture companies from Småland. Möbelriket working together to highlight the unique design and furniture history from the region. To name just a few examples: Lammhults, Abstracta, Norrgavel, Bruno Mathsson, Källemo and Ikea.

Möbelriksdagen is a kick-start. Kind of a team building event and gathering of our strengths together to meet the new year. A lot of interesting subjects, as design export, destination building and good examples in how to build long term sustainable companies and products. The program was tight! About 60 speakers entered the stage. Among those Jens Spendrup representing Företagarna, Stefan Nilsson from Trendgruppen, Patric Åström – Stockholmsmässan, Lars Bülow – Materia, Johan Lindau – Blå Station, Tomas Carlzon – MD Ikea.

The day was both inspiring and informational and I met a lot of new and old friends and had a good time all in all!

Thank you Möbelriket – Johan Sjöberg and Anders Wisth!

About 300 participants was attending Möbelriksdagen 2011

My pal Stefan Nilsson – Trendgruppen on stage – speeding up the audience…

The trends forecasted by Stefan:
Made Here – Now (made unique right now)
Made Here – Location (made unique geographically)
Made Here – Time-concious (made with time perspective)
Made Here – By me (made with personal signer)

Johan Lindau – Blå Station, together with Lars Bülow – Materia and the young designer Fredrik Färg