Building blocks put together during the spring

Letter from WDC 2012 Helsinki
 

Dear Friends,

It will soon be 12 weeks since the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) announced that Helsinki had been designated World Design Capital 2012. This was a grand and important moment for our design community, the five participating cities (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti) and all of Finland. We found ourselves in a new and unique situation.  
 
My task was to manage the bidding process, and ever since the announcement, I have been responsible for getting the project underway. As a result, my phone has been ringing relentlessly, and my e-mailbox has been packed. People’s enthusiasm and drive to get to work have exceeded all expectations.
 
I wish to extend my sincere gratitude, once more, to all those who participated in the bidding process. I am also grateful to all the numerous enthusiasts who have realized what a unique opportunity this is and have acted upon it.
 

Building blocks put together during the spring

Many people have contacted me about details of the 2012 programme. Such details do not exist yet. This project has no obvious precedent or a programme plan that we could immediately start implementing.
 
We want to make an exceptional World Design Capital year 2012, which looks like us. This is done by creating and putting together the building blocks of the year one by one. During the first weeks of the process, we have focused on the most urgent of the many burning issues. We want to provide a good foundation for a long-term effort.
 
At this time, the preliminary WDC 2012 Helsinki team is fine-tuning the project’s strategy and preparing to establish the executing organization (which will most likely be a foundation) and to open an office. WDC 2012 Helsinki is a joint effort by five cities in co-operation with many key players of Finnish society. The core tasks of the preliminary work comprise drafting all necessary agreements between the various parties and making all necessary decisions.
 
A temporary WDC 2012 Helsinki office was opened at the turn of the year in the facilities of Greater Helsinki Promotion (GHP) in Ruoholahti, Helsinki. GHP kindly lent us two of their employees to handle the preliminary phase of the project, YC Felin to co-ordinate the work and Jenny Antonen to handle communication. The preliminary work will continue at a fast pace in the next few weeks largely by the same players who put together the bid:
  • The strategy and operation model is worked on by Eera Finland Oy.
  • Plans, ideas and events in 2012 that we already know about are gathered by Pluto Finland Oy. They are in touch with several actors in design, culture, programmes and events in all the five cities. They are also reviewing the availability of venues.
  • The WDC 2012 Helsinki visual identity and its guidelines are worked on by Kokoro&Moi. This identity forms a part of the main agreement to be signed with Icsid.
The main elements to support the work should be completed during this spring. The following will take place in the next few weeks and months:
  • The main agreement will be signed with Icsid in April. At that time we will adopt the WDC 2012 Helsinki colour and visual identity.
  • The project’s main components will be announced in May. We will then also announce guidelines on how to join the project.
  • The WDC 2012 Helsinki office will be opened no later than after the summer holidays.
 
I wish to encourage everybody to launch the thinking process for World Design Capital ideas, issues and activities. Our year 2012 will not be just one year and embrace one objective, but we should see the year as a launching pad for important and essential matters.
At this time we are working on a platform to gather, organize and spur on all the magnificent activity. I ask for your patience for a while longer with your ideas.
 
World Design Capital 2012 is the sum of the activities accomplished by us individually and together. Now is the time to think, question and act.
Let’s get going, all together and with open minds!
 
Sincerely,
Pekka Timonen

 

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Letter from WDC 2012 Helsinki

We will publish information on the progress of the process on our Website and with letters such as this one about once every month.

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Archive

February 19, 2010
Building blocks put together during the spring

Application

Helsinki World Design Capital 2012 Application (primapaper, pdf)

Official press release  (ICSID)