I just watched a dramatization of the premiere of The Rite of Spring.  The ballet's premiere on May 29, 1913, at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, was scandalous. A tumult of shouting and booing broke out during the performance. Finally, policemen had to be called in to calm down the riot inside the venue. I think this hundred-year-old performance is a perfect example of creative disruption.

The Rite of Spring was a collaborative project of three Russians: Igor Stravinsky, the composer; Sergei Diaghilev, director of the Ballets Russes; and Vaslav Nijinsky, the choreographer. The story takes place in pre-Christian Russia. A young girl dances herself to death in a pagan ritual.

As in many cases of disruption the loudest part of the premiere audience could not accept the real innovation that they witnessed. Stravinsky's score proved to be a seminal composition of the 20th century.

It is still surprising how many disruptive elements could be included in a single ballet performance that evening in Paris:

Chatter expectations. The audience came to have a typical evening out. The program started innocently with Les Sylphides, a ballet with orchestrated compositions of Frédéric Chopin's piano music. What followed was something totally upsetting. 

Introduce the unfamiliar. The story, settings and costumes of The Rite of Spring were from an environment that was completely alien to the spectators.

Be original. Stravinsky's music had innovative rhythmic structures, tone colors, and dissonances that were unheard of. In 1976 Leonard Bernstein said of one passage, "It's never been topped for sophisticated handling of primitive rhythms...." The ballet's choreography was unprecedented as well.

Exceed the limits. It has been claimed that Nijinsky's choreography was physically unnatural to perform. One of the dancers recalled, "With every leap we landed heavily enough to jar every organ in us." Stravinsky also tested the limits of instruments. In the introduction he called for a bassoon to play higher than anyone else had ever done.

Be resolute. The audience disturbed the performance so loudly that the players could barely hear each other. Backstage Nijinsky shouted at the dancers and Diaghilev tried to calm down the fury of the audience by flashing the house lights. Still, the performance went on as planned.

Create buzz. It is clear that the controversy got attention and increased people's awareness of the ballet. However, the following performances were less dramatic. After the premiere Diaghilev is reported to have commented to Nijinsky and Stravinsky at dinner that the scandal was "exactly what I wanted."

Over the years Stravinsky turned the premiere incident into a legend, perhaps exaggerating its significance. Nevertheless, the score made a lasting impression on the development of modern music and is a great example of disruption.

Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra of Pablo Picasso's costumes for the ballet Parade (1917), Les Ballets Russes

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A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending an innovation workshop arranged by Tim Ogilvie of Peer Insight. Last year Tim Ogilvie and Jeanne Liedtka co-authored Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers (Columbia Business School Publishing). It was awarded Top Business Management Book of 2011 by leading business book reviewer 800-CEO-READ.

Citing from Designing for Growth, "This book aims to demystify design thinking by translating 'design' from an abstract idea into a practical, everyday tool any manager can profit from. Using a business perspective and business language, we’ll translate the vocabulary of design, unpack the mysterious connection between design thinking and profitable growth, introduce a systematic process (complete with simple project management aids), and teach you the ten tools you’ll need to marry the design approach to traditional business thinking in ways that enhance your ability to profitably grow your business."

The design process presented in the book deals with four very basic questions: What is? What if? What wows? and What works? The process is visualized using two intertwining bands that represent "divergent" and "convergent" thinking. In the early part of each stage of the process we are progressively expanding our vision whereas later we reverse the process by converging, progressively narrowing down our options to the most promising.

The ten tools associated with the design process are:

1. Visualization
2. Journey Mapping
3. Value Chain Analysis
4. Mind Mapping
5. Brainstorming
6. Concept Development
7. Assumption Testing
8. Rapid Prototyping
9. Customer Co-Creation
10. Learning Launch

The book contains explanations of the process and the tools, and several real-life examples. Visit the book's website at designingforgrowthbook.com.

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Yesterday's seminar by the Finnish Association of Consulting Firms (SKOL) was entitled "Innovation and know-how as success factors of the future". One of the five presenters was Marco Steinberg, Director of Strategic Design of the Finnish innovation fund SITRA. He talked about the evolving role of innovation in design.

1. Instead of optimizing one part or entity we need to look at the problem holistically
2. We should have a suggestion-based instead of an analysis-driven innovation process
3. We should not limit ourselves to efficiency improvements – we should create something new

To illustrate his point of view he recited a true story of an Italian town with a problematic swimming pool. People had ceased to use it and the authorities hired an architect because they thought that the reason was the poor condition of the construction. After studying the problem the architect came up with a surprising solution. The construction was certainly in need of repair, but the reason people avoided it was the new bus schedules: they did not coincide well with the opening hours of the pool.

Design is traditionally seen as form giving. Designers are expected to follow a specification and deliver a solution accordingly. In the world of large-scale, complex, and often conflicting systems and interests this is no longer enough.

In an earlier presentation Mr. Steinberg characterized design as a problem-solving discipline for synthesizing disparate issues, integrating through deep understanding, and visualizing complex, multidimensional problems. He sees design as a process that includes iteration, prototyping, and the management of the whole sequence from inception to implementation. According to Steinberg the problem must be examined through multiple scales, perspectives, and contexts.

Steinberg has extended the domain of design into strategic design, which gives form to decision making. In the SKOL presentation he visualized this idea with a funnel diagram. Traditionally designers are involved at the narrow end of the funnel, after the big decisions have already been made. The room for innovation is very narrow, and in the worst case you are answering the wrong question with a brilliant design.

Strategic design is about "unpacking" the problem, creating several alternative funnels. Strategic design takes place before we are locked into a solution to the defined problem. 

Steinberg's third diagram visualizes the three new stages of decision-making: 1) Strategic Design, 2) Stewardship, and 3) Implementation.

Innovation begins by asking the right questions. Strategic design thinking requires multidisciplinary dialog and integrated teams. This does not imply that innovation is a result of a consensus. Steinberg sees it as a major challenge, especially in Finland, that design is driven by a requirement to reach a consensus. This can kill killer innovations.

Images by Aarni Heiskanen, based on original images by Marco Steinberg

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One of the more recent textbooks on service design is This is Service Design Thinking: Basics, Tools, Cases. A group of 23 international authors co-created the book that was originally published in 2010. It has become The Book of service design among practitioners, as I've been told.

"This book outlines a contemporary approach for service innovation. This is Service Design Thinking introduces a new way of thinking to beginners but also serves as a reference for professionals. It explains the approach, its background, process, methods and tools — and connects theory to contemporary case studies.

The book trailer video summarizes the basic concepts of service design:

The book's site at http://www.thisisservicedesignthinking.com/ offers a preview of selected pages of the book, a downloadble Customer Journey Canvas, and icons that you can use in your own projects.

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How would you promote a country that is not a mainstream tourist attraction? The Finnish Tourist Board has decided to use a conceptual identity to tell what Finland is and why you should come here.

Finland was eight in the 2010 Country Brand Index, ahead of the UK, Sweden, Germany and Italy. However, in tourism terms Finland is a challenger brand. Most overnight visitors come from Russia, Sweden, and Germany. "Visit Finland" is the conceptual identity that should attract travelers also from other parts of the world.

The new website (now in beta) of Visit Finland wants to communicate Finland's identity through four characteristics: credible, contrasting, creative and cool. Accordingly, it provides a top 10 list of reasons for traveling to Finland:

• Get off the beaten track of traditional European tourist attractions
• You need to hide
• You want to do something that your friends haven’t done
• You’re bored of crowded places
• You want to see Santa
• You want to experience clean nature (while the world still has it)
• You like to have fun in the snow
• You love the Moomins
• You want to learn real driving
• You feel cold (Come to the land of the sauna)

The Tourist Board has developed three themes that reflect Finland's core values:

SILENCE, PLEASE

"As a counterbalance to the hectic, ever-accelerating rhythm of daily life, Finland offers peace and quiet, and space to breathe, even in the heart of the city. Visitors can take things easy, stay at a cottage, enjoy a sauna, and explore an untouched natural environment."

WILD & FREE

"Every traveller would like to experience at least one memorable adventure during their holiday. Finnish nature offers opportunities for spectacular nature activities, such as snowmobile and dog sled safaris, island hopping by boat, canoeing in the archipelago, or even a snowball fight in the city."

CULTURAL BEAT

"The uniqueness of Finnish culture is recognised around the world, from its classic design and Father Christmas to heavy metal music and tasty fresh produce."

The Finnish Tourist Board has identified the type of travelers whose own preferences coincide with that of Finland. They are "modern humanists", according to the RISC Monitor research. About 15 percent of world travellers are estimated to be modern humanists, people who have traveled a lot and are seeking fresh options.

"Finland is for people, who have seen the major metropolises of the world and are open to further broadening their horizons. People, who find advancements in technology, sustainability and design close to their hearts." - Visit Finland

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Would you ask a management team, or a team of employees, to present the future of their company with LEGOs? Some companies and consultants have done that for years. The idea is to get people "think with their hands." 

Quoting from the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® web site:

"LEGO SERIOUS PLAY is a radical, innovative, experiential process designed to enhance business performance. It is based on the belief that everyone can contribute to the discussion, the decisions and the outcome.

The use of LEGO bricks simply enables you to take a speedy shortcut to the core. The bricks work as a catalyst – and when used for building metaphors, they trigger processes that you were previously unaware of.

Participants come away with skills to communicate more effectively, to engage their imaginations more readily, and to approach their work with increased confidence, commitment and insight."

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® was originally a consulting methodology that could only be used by certified facilitators. In 2010 the method became open source. You can download the methodology description at www.seriousplay.com. LEGO sells special kits for Serious Play facilitation.

In this short video Jody Lentz demonstrates how he uses LEGOs for facilitation:

Photo: iStockphoto

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Some years ago I gave a presentation on service development. One of my slides had a diagram visualizing the idea of modularity. I redrew from Joseph Pine's book Mass Customization. I think the image summarizes the six concepts excellently!

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Most designers offer their services through short-term projects, which means that the client-designer relationship is often temporary. What are the other types of designer-client relationships and how are they best managed?

The relationship quadrants

Two aspects are important when characterizing client-designer relationships:

1) The scope of the service

2) The role of the designer in the client's process

The scope of the service can be either a project or an ongoing process. In both cases, the role of the designer can be either assistive or participative. In order to compare the two types of scope and the two alternative roles, we can visualize a matrix with four relationship types (see diagram, below).

Each type has different goals, opportunities, risks, and competitive strategies associated with it. Here is a short characterization of the four relationship types:

A) An assistive role in a project – The Project Supplier

• Driver: Client’s need to get a solution to a single, well defined problem.
• Duration: Short-term agreements.
• Designer's goal: To be awarded the supplier’s contract.
• Competitive factors: Price or service performance.
• Critical success factor: Price-quality ratio.
• Designer should know: Decision-makers and their criteria for providers; customers’ needs; ways to improve your own productivity

A project can be the start of a successful designer-client relationship. However, many clients feel that they have to tender each project, which makes this kind of relationship potentially transitory.

B) An assistive role in an ongoing process – The Outsourced Process Provider

• Driver: Client's determination to focus on core business.
• Duration: Long-term, ongoing service.
• Designer's goal: To allow the client to focus on their core business.
• Competitive factors: Provision of cost-effective services.
• Critical success factor: Integration into the client’s processes.
• Designer should know: The right service scope and the client’s own cost for providing the same service level.

It is naturally good business practice for a client to focus on their core business. Therefore, many companies want to outsource processes that they consider complementary. This provides a design company with the opportunity to build a long-lasting relationship with the client. Clients are very cost-conscious in outsourcing deals, so the designer must be able to provide a high-quality service cost-effectively.

C) A participative role in a project - The Consultant

• Driver: A strategically important issue that requires a solution.
• Duration: An ongoing relationship with recurrent projects.
• Designer’s goal: To create and maintain a trusted relationship.
• Competitive factors: Strategic thinking; understanding the client-s business.
• Critical success factor: Ability to improve the client’s competitive position.
• Designer should know: The client’s strategy.

The difference between a type-A relationship and a Type-C one is that, in the latter, the designer contributes more directly to the competitiveness of the client. The designer can be, for example, taking part in a new product or process design that improves the client's core business. A designer is a trusted advisor, even though the relationship is formed around projects.

D) A participative role in a process – The Strategic Partner

• Driver: New business value that can be derived from working together.
• Duration: Long-term relationships.
• Designer’s goal: Shared business goals with the client.
• Competitive factors: Ability to provide unique value to the client.
• Critical success factor: Partnership-management competence.
• Designer should know: Strategic fit with the clients is key; risks related to working together.

This relationship type is the most mature and the most demanding. It is similar to a joint venture, where the client and designer share a vision and a strategy. They also share the business risk to a certain extent. David Lewis certainly had a strategic relationship with Bang & Olufsen. The work of Lewis’s company played a crucial role in B&O's success.

Which relationships to pursue?

All of the four designer-client relationship types have their pros and cons. Some designers are perfectly happy taking on projects that have a limited life span. Some strive to build long-term relationships. Whichever your strategy, it’s advisable not to rely on one single relationship model. By developing a range of models, your company increases its chances of success in a business world where uncertainty has become the norm.

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1. Needs and strategies

The first phase is related to understanding what the customers want to achieve. The purpose of a service is to make customers perform better in their everyday tasks. When you know the outcome that the customer wants — for example, less time used, fewer errors and less waste — you can start making strategic choices on the needs you want to satisfy. A service strategy also defines what means you want to use to achieve your goals.

A software company I know had identified the need to improve construction-site management. It started off with scheduling and production control. It found out that the best way to do that was to make a virtual model of the construction. That opened the doors to other applications later on.

2. Service concept and business model

After you have decided on your strategy, you can create a concept-level plan of the service. The concept defines what the benefits of using your service will be, and what the service does. In other words, you'll have to look at the service through your customers’ eyes and understand what kind of service helps them do their work better. 

Another thing to consider is the maturity of the customer in relation to what you can offer. For example, the construction management software firm realized that it had to offer both software and people to operate the software for the first customers.

During the concept phase you can already start creating a buzz around the service; do test marketing, and perhaps make some service prototypes. Customer relationship building starts at this stage. On your company's side you'll have to define the business model that makes offering the service feasible. A business model includes the revenue and cost logic of the service.

3. Service design and operational model

The third phase focuses on the delivery of service. You will design the service and create the business platform for delivering it. This is the phase where you prototype, test, and launch your service. You will need the right people, systematized processes, and technical solutions to make the service delivery cost-efficient. Getting the right kind of customers and exceeding their expectations is the best marketing you can do.

4. Relationship value and improvement

The fourth phase is all about establishing the service as a first choice of existing and new customers. They will get more value from your service than anywhere else. You'll strengthen the customer relationships through learning and cooperation. You must systematize the service to a point where you can scale it up for an enlarged customer base or for new markets. 

The model I have outlined is adaptive and dynamic. You must and you will go back to adjust your earlier assumptions. Improving the outcomes and making your processes more efficient guarantee that your business  grows profitably in the years to come.

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Now that you can shoot photos every day, photographs have become a commodity. People are getting used to viewing photos on digital devices, without ever printing them out. The retina display of the new iPad will further discourage printing since it makes photos look sharper than ever. Despite all this, I decided to make a physical photo book.

There are plenty of online printing services available. They let you make a photo book in a few hours if not minutes. This time I tested Apple's service. It works inside iPhoto, which makes it an easy choice for Mac users.

I guess most people make photo books of memorable moments. My book became a haphazard collection of photos that I thought looked good. I took the shots in Finland, Germany and Italy, and the targets vary. Back in my mind I had the idea that I would make a book that could serve as a business gift. So, memorable moments from school plays or family portraits where excluded this time.

I don't have high-end gear; I mostly use a point-and-shoot camera or the one on my phone. However, I pay attention to the post-production of photos. I almost routinely adjust saturation and contrast. In addition I use special software, like Analog and Flare, to play with subtle special effects. When I got the book I noticed that photos with moderately boosted colors looked best on the printed pages.

I transferred all the book photos into iPhoto and started working on the book. Apple has made the process really easy. You can either let iPhoto do the job automatically or you can change page layouts, photo positions and scaling manually. When you are ready, all you have to do is to press "Buy Book" and pay. The cost of the 36-page book, with delivery and sales tax, was 56.85 euros.

I made the book last Saturday and it was at my door on Wednesday. The book, like other Apple products, was nicely packaged in a cardboard folder, which could have been the wrapping for a new gadget (see the attached photos). The book has a dust sleeve with images. They are the same photos that have been printed on the hard covers of the book.

I like the look and feel of the end result. The paper quality is good and the photos have been nicely reproduced. I would certainly be able to give this book as a gift. I would imagine that this format would be great for the portfolio of a designer, architect or artist. You can add text to the pages, so why not make a hardcover visual resume next time?

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Helsingin Sanomat (leading Finnish newspaper) published today an article on crowdfunding titled "A Business Angel Sits in a Livingroom". The author, Jussi Pullinen, mentions Wishbhone and how they got funding to realize a simple but brilliant idea that every earphone wearer appreciates.

On their website the Wishbhone writes, "The story behind Wishbhone began with a problem - our earphone cords were always tangled up causing a lot of frustration and stress. There were some cable managers on the market, but all of those seemed to be clumsy, and could not be properly integrated into earphones. We wanted to fix this problem, and well, we did!"

The company presented their idea on Kickstarter, "the world's largest funding platform for creative projects." They got preorders from 1450 individuals, raising a total of $29,858.

The product is now available for ordering. Check it out at http://store.wishbhone.com/

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Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is growing underground. The video shows examples of how the city and businesses utilize the solid bedrock on land and under the sea.

Especially now, when it's cold and snowy, I enjoy using these underground facilities!

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You have a specification or a brief for a design problem. You have done research, interviewed people, watched how they behave, and so on. The next question is how to actually start solving the design problem based on what you've learned. I’ve devised a list of seven possible ways to do it. The list is far from complete; it reflects my own experiences in tackling design problems.

1. Use past experience

The difference between a pro and an amateur is that a pro has done something over and over again. If you have already solved a similar problem dozens or hundreds of times previously you can quickly come up with a solution. Even if the problem is customary I think that a good designer is willing to learn and improve his/her performance every time.

2. Start from the top

Identify one to three of the most important, defining choices that you'll have to make at first, before moving on. If you are designing a house, for example, the orientation, site layout and overall form of the building could be your first choices. After you've decided on those you can move to a more detailed level. In practice you'll always have to come back to the first choices since problem solving is an iterative process.

3. Break things down into a hierarchy of requirements

I've read some studies from the 1960s that outlined a rational principle of design. The idea was that every requirement in the design specification has a high-level solution. Each solution has certain requirements that act as a specification for next level solution. Going down this requirement-solution path as far as necessary finally defines the solution. This method is especially suitable for software or process design, but attempts to use it in building design have not been promising.

4. Use a system or framework

Having too many choices can be inefficient. Many architects, engineers, artists and musicians have been able to rationalize their work by creating a system or framework that helps in devising solutions. A clever system allows enough variation while securing compatibility of its elements. 

In the late 1980s I was involved in designing villages that were to be erected quickly for a large number of immigrants. We came up with a housing system that consisted of pre-designed apartments. The computerized system allowed us to design a small city in a matter of days. I think we ended up making 17 of them in a few months.

5. Use an analog

Sometimes looking outside your own industry helps. One of my consulting clients wanted to improve the customer experience and efficiency of their engineering services. In a workshop I gave them a task: "What would your business look like if you were like a fast food company or a car dealership?" Moving away from the traditional way of thinking about their business they actually generated some interesting and realizable ideas.

6. Come up with a big idea

Many great design solutions have one overarching idea. An awesome idea can rightfully challenge traditional expectations and requirement definitions. In a design process a masterly idea can render exceptional value.

The challenge with starting with one prevailing idea is that you tend to fall in love with it and struggle to see beyond it. Furthermore, if it is not realized properly it can lead to poor results. The city of Helsinki planned a new office district in the 1970s. The idea was to create a pedestrian friendly city where cars would drive under elevated pedestrian platforms. However, when the area was built all builders did not follow suit. It led to an environment where pedestrians have to descend to the street level, among car traffic, to get from one point to another.

7. Use serendipity

Finally, there is always the way to just start doing something until it clicks. Try unexpected approaches, test quirky solutions quickly, start from the "wrong" end of the solution, and so on. This can sometimes work, but it can also lead to a deadlock; not getting anything done.

These are methods that I've used or encountered. I'd very much like to hear your experiences. 

Photo source: iStockphoto

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Helsinki is the World Design Capital for 2012. You can find your way to events and access the program on mobile apps that are avaible for iPhone, iPad, Nokia N9, Nokia Symbian, and Android.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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In 2002, my colleague and I became interested in project portfolio management (PPM). We started using PPM as a framework when we consulted for IT organizations. Back then, there were few software tools that supported the kind of thinking that we had—managing the project portfolio from a strategic point of view. To effectively communicate our ideas, I made a "paper prototype" of a simple PPM tool. It proved to be a sales tool that subsequently turned into a commercial product.

The first prototype consisted of a one-page presentation. The page was divided into frames, each frame visualizing one facet of a project's classification information. For example, there were separate frames for risk analysis, strategic positioning, and implementation. It was in no way complete, but it greatly helped us communicate the principle.

The prototype was a kind of storyboard. The idea was that when someone would propose a development project in a company, she would fill in the page. She would then walk through the one-page presentation in a steering group meeting. These decision-makers would have a similar presentation of every proposal and project. The combined information from all the project pages would form a complete project portfolio.

The simple prototype became very powerful. When I presented it at our own seminar, many attendees became interested and wanted to learn more about the product. A journalist asked my permission to publish the "display" in a professional magazine. At that point, there was no working product, only a visual prototype.

We became so encouraged by the positive feedback that we decided to actually begin developing a project portfolio management application. Our first version was a spreadsheet with some programmed functions. Even though it was fairly simple—more like a prototype than full-blown software—some large organizations actually adapted it for real use.

We saw the limitations of an Excel application and decided to create a Web version of our portfolio tool. Now, over 3000 end users in 40 countries use Thinking Portfolio.

In the following years, I used the same development principle: make a prototype that appears as though it would work. An abstract prototype is sufficient for design professionals, but when you want to effectively communicate with potential users, make the prototype more concrete.

Paraphrasing Steve Jobs, people don't know what they want until you show it to them. A prototype is in essence a sales tool. It makes an idea tangible and demonstrates how something might work. You can use it to test people's feelings and expectations, not just functionalities or interfaces. If people love it—as was true in our case—your chances of creating a successful service or product have increased considerably.

Image: Design prototype by Aarni Heiskanen

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via yankodesign.com

Nguyen Tuan Anh's wall socket has an integrated extension cord. What a brilliant, simple and extremely useful idea!

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A study published in January 2012 of 1,380 Finnish companies shows that most businesses don't consider design to be a competitive advantage. Quality, reliability in delivery, sales, pricing, marketing, logistics, and brand are more important, according to the respondents.

There hasn't been too much research on the business value of design. Some Finnish studies seem to suggest that design investments have a positive return. The best performers have managed to integrate design with R&D, marketing, and strategy. The benefits to this approach include accelerated growth of production and sales, and product and service differentiation.

The researchers asked, “what is design?” Four out of five respondents replied that it is the aesthetic design of objects. The responses that design "means customer centricity" or "is vital to a company's existence" got the least support.

Less than 20 percent of the companies had invested considerably in design in the last two years. Little over 30 percent had invested slightly, and 10 percent had made no design investments whatsoever. 

Those that had invested some or nothing reasoned that design was not suitable in their industry, or that they could do well without it. One-fifth that had negative attitudes said that design would take too much time and resources. Over half of the skeptics felt that hiring a designer would be too costly or difficult.

Those who responded that design is the basis of their operations had to answer additional questions. Seventy-eight percent of them said that design is an element of all development of products or services. Six out of ten thought that design comes from inside the company, and 20 percent responded that it derives from the customer.

Why does design improve quality, according to the supporters? Sixty percent felt that design improves the usability, ergonomics, and durability of products. It reduces waste and errors, and makes products and services environmentally friendly. It also helps companies differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Companies that rely on design said that it speeds up market entries and that customers are willing to pay more for great design. Those who incorporate design into their strategy consider it to be a resource.

The study "What design means to companies" was conducted by the Association for Finnish Work in co-operation with four other Finnish associations.

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I'm writing this sitting in an Alvar Aalto chair, at a round Aalto table. Beside me stands a lamp designed by the same master of modern architecture. Most of these pieces were originally designed in the 1930s and 40s. How many IKEA models will be around in 2080?

Alvar Aalto was an architect but also a furniture designer. He and his wife, Aino Aalto, designed glassware, lamps, carpets, fabrics, and so on. Aalto wanted to offer an immersive experience to those who were living and using the built environments that his office designed. 

Many of Aalto's colleagues had the same kind of ideas, but he went a step further. He and Aino were the founding members of a company that started producing and selling Aalto products. They, together with Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, founded Artek in 1935. The business idea of the company was “to sell furniture and to promote a modern culture of habitation by exhibitions and other educational means.” 

Artek is still in business with three stores in Finland, albeit its owner is a Swedish investor. They also sell through retailers worldwide. Why am I happy that they are still around? Not just because they sell great design.

If I ever want to augment our furniture with matching pieces I can find them at Artek. Not only do their Aalto series go together perfectly, I can also find the exact same chair or table that I bought 20 years ago. When I wanted to expand an IKEA bookshelf at our office, it was already out of production only two years after its purchase.

Another difference between Aalto classics and IKEA products is that Aalto's chairs, tables, and shelves are very solid and practically unbreakable. They last for years and stay in good condition. Furthermore, you can actually repair and renew them, if necessary. Even spare parts are available. That's something that's unheard of with most modern products. I'd say that Aalto's furniture is sustainable in a very practical way.

What is the price of owning modern classics? An Aalto birch chair number 66 costs 270 euros (around $360) in Finland in spring 2012. At the same time an oak and beech chair "Sigurd" at IKEA costs 49.95 euros (around $66). So, you can provide your dining table with five Sigurds for the price of one Aalto and still have money to spare. 

Does it make sense to compare the products of IKEA and Artek? As far as I know they both originally shared the same ideology of bringing affordable modern furniture to every home. They both have a Nordic attitude towards design: practicality, simplicity, and lightness.  IKEA's business acumen turned it into a great company whereas Artek is a niche player. Maybe relying on classic 1930s models cannot offer great opportunities for growth. Will Artek still be here in twenty years’ time, as their products certainly will? As a keen customer I hope so.

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I had the pleasure to design our Thinking Portfolio Risk Analysis app for iPad. The app is a tool for indentifying and analyzing project risks.

More information at http://www.thinkingportfolio.com/riskanalysis/. Go to App Store to buy the app.

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