Krister Ahlström, the "grand old man of design", is confident: design will become a competitive factor that Finland will take seriously. Design Thinking will open the doors to innovations and competitiveness.

International indicators show that there is a strong correlation between a country's competitiveness and design input: the more competitive a country, the stronger the design intensity.

A start was made on making Finland one of the pioneer countries in exploiting design ten years ago when the national Muotoilu (Design) 2005! programme was initiated. The target was set of integrating design into the innovation system and creating a dynamic design system.

"The situation is now promising. Industrial design is becoming a mature area of expertise," says Krister Ahlström, the architect of Finnish design policy and an influential presence at the Finnish Design Roundtable.

Business not art

Finland is one of the top countries in design expertise. There are, however, still things to do in terms of its use by companies.

"The importance of design still has to be justified and companies do not treat it with the seriousness it demands, but we're headed in the right direction," says Ahlström.

Many design agencies have already noticed that design is business, even if the realization has not yet been upgraded into business.

"Design agencies must learn to deal with design as a business, not as art. On the other hand, companies that purchase design must learn to do so with greater skill," says Ahlström, clearly defining the issue.

"Design is a work tool that you must know how to use. If you want to become a top violinist, it isn't enough to buy a Stradivarius. You've got to practise as well."

Design behind everything

Design Thinking extends everywhere, because design is everywhere: in products, services, production processes, the environment, communications, corporate identities ....

Design offers solutions. It brings added value and develops a company's competitiveness. But design is principally the key to deep user-understanding.

"Design expertise improves a company's ability to understand the customer deeply. This understanding changes the whole culture of what we do," Ahlström emphasizes. "Whereas previously we did what was technically possible, in the future what we do will be done increasingly clearly via a deep understanding of the user. The locomotive that was once the engineer will change into the engine of design."

The world's best countries as design's business experts are North America and Great Britain. "Top-grade expertise comes from the ability to communicate. It's no accident that the most successful advertising agencies have also been created in Anglo-Saxon countries."

"A designer brings out a user's conscious and subconscious hopes and a range of thoughts. Visualizing is challenging and important. Without communication this will not succeed."

Innovation University coming

Successful innovations are created via an unlinked trinity: top-grade design, technical superiority and business expertise.

Technology, design and business expertise will meet in a unique way when the Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Art and Design Helsinki combine into the Innovation University in 2009.

"The Innovation University is at this moment a unique solution. It will support Finnish design policy and bring a new leverage for it," Ahlström says.

>> Helsinki Design Week brings inspiration

In Finland design is a creative social resource and a national source of pride. In the picture the Tank chair designed by Alvar Aalto. (Photo: Design Forum Finland, Finnish Design Yearbook 2006-2007).