Cultural importance of Scandinavian design

In any given country and culture, design has great importance in both cultural and in economic terms. Finnish design’s cultural significance is in creating and maintaining the national identity as well as individual identity. Finnish design is also part of the Finns’ memory and history. The bright and happy fabrics of Marimekko in 1960s were part of many Finns’ youth and their parent’s generation has good memories of Kilta tableware. Finland is known around the world from, for example, Alvar Aalto, Jean Sibelius and a significant design of its own as part of the greater movement of Scandinavian design. 

Scandinavia refers to the countries of Northern Europe

 

Scandinavia refers to the countries of Northern Europe: Denmark, Sweden, Norway. However, when talking about Scandinavian design, Finland is also included. Designers of these countries have all developed their own distinctive style of design since the 1950s. Simple, sleek and functional – that is how Scandinavian design is often described. Natural materials like wood and minimalistic style are also connected to the Scandinavian design and derive largely from cultural influences. But what is the most distinctive feature for Scandinavian design is the manufacturing method: Scandinavian design is about low-cost mass production.

Background of Scandinavian design

The ideological background of Scandinavian design is from 1950s and it includes the emergence of a particular Scandinavian form of social democracy, increased availability of materials and the new methods of mass production. The wood that the designers used at the time was light coloured and the supporting structure was often exposed which added to the drama of the elegance of the designs. Because machine production was in vogue, the Scandinavians were adapting finished edges, curved corners as well as overall smoothness in their unique and artistic way of design.