Myths, misconceptions and outright lies - the human history is full of them. Friends, teachers and above all parents have been repeating the same incorrect facts for centuries and the lies just seem to spread to the next generation to be repeated in infitum. What do you say we end it now? Here are the … Continue reading The lies we were told as kids
Author: Jonas
Digital developer and a modern design connoisseur. I love my family, reading and chairs. In that order.
Designers hanging out together
MemphisThe Memphis Group was an Italian design and architecture group founded in Milan by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 that designed Post Modern furniture, fabrics, ceramics, glass and metal objects from 1981-1987. Here they are hanging out in the Tawaraya boxing ring bed by Masanori Umeda, a Japanese architect collaborating with Memphis at the time. and … Continue reading Designers hanging out together
Photos of designers sculpting prototypes
I admire designers who back in the day got down and dirty with their designs. When they needed to make a prototype they made it out of plaster, wire, wood, cardboard or anything that would hold up. These are images of designers hard at work at future classics, without a computer in sight. Respect. Eero … Continue reading Photos of designers sculpting prototypes
Eero Rislakki – a pioneer in industrial design
Designer, artist and teacher Eero Rislakki is seldom mentioned in Finnish design history in spite of his wide body of work and many awards. This is the story of Finland's first industrial designer. Rislakki (1924-2017) long resided in Helsingborg, Sweden but he was born in Helsinki, Finland. As a little boy he liked creating and carving things … Continue reading Eero Rislakki – a pioneer in industrial design
25 surprising stories about Finnish design
Finnish design is appreciated around the world for its minimalistic appearance, playful ruggedness and strict functionalism. There are a couple of cliches that most often get tossed around though, like Timo Sarpaneva's Orchid vase was voted the most beautiful object in the world by House Beautiful in 1954 as was Tapio Wirkkala's leaf shaped wood … Continue reading 25 surprising stories about Finnish design
One hit wonders in design history
Designers who do one thing and then call it quits fascinate me. Some of them decided to become interior designers or architects and some simply decided to do something completely different. Here's to the one hit wonders of the design world. Pekka Perjo - Pohjola chair Pekka Perjo designed the "Pohjola" chair in 1965 for insurance … Continue reading One hit wonders in design history
Teak artists and manufacturers in Finland
Little has been written about the use of teak and other hardwood materials in industrial design in Finland. Denmark and Sweden have made a bigger mark and they did also have a much larger production. In this post I'm focusing on smaller object although some Finnish manufacturers made furniture in both solid teak and veneer. … Continue reading Teak artists and manufacturers in Finland
Veljekset / Bröderna Backman – a company carved in wood
I'm passionate about what you would call hardwood, teak and rosewood being some of the most known ones. Back in the 50's and 60's they were easy to find because of deforestation in Southeast Asia which in turn partly was due to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Essentially the Americans and French were selling … Continue reading Veljekset / Bröderna Backman – a company carved in wood
Finnish members of parliament and their usage of Twitter 2009-2010
For my final university thesis I analysed 2500 tweets from Finnish members of parliament during 2009-2010 to see how they communicate with each other and people in the public sphere. Here's the final thesis in Swedish (PDF alert). I made no great discoveries partly due to Twitter being quite a new means of communicating but I … Continue reading Finnish members of parliament and their usage of Twitter 2009-2010
Idman – the complete story of a lighting company
This is a shortened and translated post that originally appeared in the magazine Valo (2,2011), written and illustrated by Tiia-Maarit Loisa. Karl Hjalmar Idman was born on 11 December 1872 in Helsinki, and he died in the same city on 23 September 1924. Life took him to Pori, a smaller city in Finland. 25-year-old Hjalmar founded … Continue reading Idman – the complete story of a lighting company
Forthzine - Jonas Forth 