The Kasper Stromman Design Blog

Kiitos Kasper Stromman Blog 2011–2013

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:09:00 +0200

Design lovers!

This blog has been going since late summer of 2011, but everything must come to an end. Why? Mainly because we here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog have now covered every single aspect of Finnish design. That’s it. There is nothing left to write about. But you’ll always have the Kasper Stromman Illustrated Design Encyclopadia to fall back on if there’s still something troubling your mind.

Naturally we have issued a commemorative T-shirt, available through the Kasper Stromman Design Outlet.

However, we here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog are of course not made out of stone, and if you could see us now we can tell you there is not a dry eye in the office. Mainly because of all the layoffs that will ensue.

But our Finnish language readers will be happy to know it’s not completely over; there is already a new blog in the writing; go here for the brand new Kasper Diem -blog.

So long design lovers, and long live Finnish design!

Sansa: Boys (Summertime love), 2013For the original 1987 version...

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:00:33 +0200

Sansa: Boys (Summertime love), 2013
For the original 1987 version by Sabrina go here.

Hi there! I created a Tumblr JUST because I wanted to ask the expert. I am an aspiring graphic designer and I just LOVE to do designs for everybody. I am not in it for the money but I would like to leave a bit of a legacy and make my family proud. So here's my question: What would be a great cost effective way to be noticed and how can I find contests for design in my area so I can really challenge myself?

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 11:40:00 +0200

Dear Junior Designer,

The best way to get noticed these days is to run your own design blog. As far as everyone is concerned it’s actually the only way of making a name for yourself in 2013.

What comes to design contests there is also really only one worth taking part in: the Stromman Signature Cake contest. Your family couldn’t be prouder if you win.

Love,
Kasper Stromman

Postcards from Finland #37

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 06:00:36 +0200

RAUMA - SUOMI - FINLAND
Tori
Torget
The Market Square
Der Marktplatz

Lahjatukku Oy • Helsinki

Top 3 Stromman Cake entries so far

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:00:00 +0200

Cake lovers!

Last week we here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog announced the Stromman Cake Competition. Here are our favourite entries so far:

Martha Stewart Rainbow Cake
“Not only because it contains a sufficient number of colourings and preservatives, but because this is the only cake that matches the Kasper Stromman Space T-shirt. And since I totally stole the idea you can send to prize to Kaitlin Flannery.”
Maari Fabritius

Stromman Cake
“Black is the one and only choice for a graphic designer. Liquorice, salty liquorice and booze are truly Finnish flavours. The icing on the cake is the perfectly geometric dome shape. In other words, I present you with a liquorice cake covered in salty liquorice marzipan icing and moistened with Salmiakki Koskenkorva!”
Tommi Merelin

Le Bebe Burger Sans Comic
Best,
Pami Hekanaho

These are, of course, all fantastic entries. And the greatest part of it is there’s still time to send in suggestions since we’ve pushed back the deadline to 4th of June – aka Stromman Day.

Please send Stromman Cake suggestions to competition@kasperstromman.com.

Nuuskatyyny/Snus pillow by Denz & Son.

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:13:48 +0200

Nuuskatyyny/Snus pillow by Denz & Son.

Graphic design now. (In Finnish).

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:08:00 +0200

Graphic design now. (In Finnish).

Traditional Finnish musical instruments made out of...

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:48:00 +0200

Traditional Finnish musical instruments made out of skateboards.
For more info – or to buy these – please visit Mäsä Universe.

What's the smell of Finland?

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 17:26:00 +0200

4. Raspberry
Not much information about this scent is given on the Angry Birds by Lumene website, but since the Bad Piggy featured on the label is clearly voicing the word “pbbbt” it’s safe to assume the scent is similar to that of “blowing a raspberry”.
Also available in blueberry hand cream.
Angry Birds by Lumene

3. Unisex
Perfume person Max Perttula recently brought out a fragrance with top notes of galbanum, middle notes of hedione and base notes of tonka bean. That actually pretty much sounds like the accurate smell of Finland as far as we here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog are concerned.
www.eaudefinlande.com

2. The true sensual power of a wearer’s own persona
The Tom of Finland Eau de Parfum claims to be an ode to masculine beauty with its “clean leather scent”. But since it also carries notes of galbanum and tonka bean it has us thinking they are on to something since these ingredients are also featured in the Eau de Finlande.
The box also features printed homoerotic imaginery on the inside, but those are completely odourless.
Tom of Finland Eau de Perfum

1. The smell of mystery
We circled this car for a good ten minutes, but still couldn’t get a whiff of what the Finland air freshener smells like. But we guess it’s safe to assume it has got notes of galbanum and tonka bean?
We do however know that it is also available in the smell of the European Union.
Wunderbaum

Stromman Cake competition: some pointers

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:35:00 +0200

Cake lovers!

A few days ago we here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog asked you, blog readers, to help us design the Stromman signature cake. We are happy to report that we have already got some pretty interesting designs coming in. We highly appreciate every single one of these suggestions.

However, to pave the way for even more entries we thought it would be good to give you, cake designers, some guidelines of what kind of ingredients would probably make for a great Stromman cake. So here goes.

LIKE
• Marzipan
• Toblerone
• Cherries
• Muffins
• Bananas

DISLIKE
• Whipped cream
• Cinnamon rolls
• Croissants

Please send entries to competition@kasperstromman.com – or if you are actually going to bake the cake have it delivered to:

The Kasper Stromman Design Blog International Headquarters
Castreninkatu 8
00530 Helsinki

Also, let’s face it, if you are actually going to go through the trouble of baking a cake you will most certainly win.

So, cake lovers, let the designing begin! And don’t forget there’s a vintage iPod at stake here.

Finnish education system. It may seem harsh, but according to...

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:54:24 +0200

Finnish education system. It may seem harsh, but according to independent research it’s the best in the world.

New arrival at the Kasper Stromman Design Outlet

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:49 +0200

Architecture/design lovers!

We here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog are very proud to introduce the newest arrival at the Kasper Stromman Design Outlet: The I Want to Believe T-shirt.

This is a must-have item for anyone into 1960s design and/or fibreglass architecture. By wearing this garment we can now together recreate some kind of weird utopia where people were supposed to live in plastic houses.

Because the main thing is to never stop believing – and get the I Want to Belive T-shirt here!

Hero Dad, 2013Promotional video encouraging dads to take time...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:40:00 +0200

Hero Dad, 2013
Promotional video encouraging dads to take time off to be with their kid in order to meet “hot MILFs”, because at the end of the day that’s what parenthood is all about.

Competition: design the Stromman signature cake, win a vintage iPod

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:08:00 +0200

Design/cake lovers!

Runeberg’s day is once again over, and the shops are now filled with half-price Runeberg’s tortes, which of course are delicious.

But all this has got us thinking here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog – why on earth don’t we have a signature cake?

And that’s why are now launching a competition where you now have the chance to create the Stromman cake.

The rules are simple: Send us your suggestion for a Stromman cake, and you’re eligible to win a vintage iPod* (worth € 1,750). Sketches are fine, but if you have it in you to actually bake this cake your chances to win will increase exponentially.

The signature cake will then from now on always be consumed on 4th of June, also known as Stromman Day – and you’ll be celebrated as the creator of this delicacy.

All entries to be sent to competition@kasperstromman.com.

Good luck cake lovers, and qu’ils mangent de la brioche!

*Battery possibly dead.

Runeberg gone wild

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:50:00 +0200

Today is Johan Ludvig Runeberg’s birthday – the national poet of Finland – and a day which is traditionally celebrated by having a Runeberg’s torte.

As far as traditions go this is great, since these moist and almondy treats are available from the beginning of January. That means if you can claim to be into poetry you have a legitimate reason to have one every single day for a month straight.

But this year the pastry industry thought differently. If this delicacy is so popular, why not make it available in snack size? It will be much like having a shot of Jägermeister when you enter the bar, but of course less healthy.

Then again, a Runeberg’s shot is of course tiny, so might as well buy a six-pack of them. It’s a great, sugary alternative to lunch on Runeberg’s day.

Still room for dessert? Then why not have this year’s great innovation, Runeberg’s cake? Or if you’re lunching with that special someone, get two.

Developing type 2 diabetes has never been easier than this year.

Sketch for exciting crossover design concept: Bart Moomintroll.

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:54:21 +0200

Sketch for exciting crossover design concept: Bart Moomintroll.

Proposal for Marimekko fabric

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 20:05:00 +0200

According to the tabloids today late president Kekkonen and Marimekko founder Armi Ratia were allegedly romantically involved with each other at some point in the 1970s.

Whether this is true or not doesn’t interest us here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog. But we do see some design potential in this supposed liaison.

That’s why we designed this proposal for a new Marimekko fabric, featuring these much loved Finnish icons:

Marimekko. Please e-mail contact@kasperstromman.com if you’re interested.

Best Finnish magazine covers of 2012

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:28:00 +0200

The Finnish Periodical Publishers’ Association (Aikakausmedia) annually lets the public vote on the best magazine cover of the previous year from a pre-selected lineup of alternatives. We here at the Kasper Stromman Design Blog’s picked our favourites – this is the crème de la crème of Finnish magazine cover design of 2012.

Trendi 2/2012
Exactly a year ago Trendi magazine sent shockwaves through the fashion community by putting a young, attractive model of the cover of their February issue. This was of course a daring move in itself, but Trendi went even further by making Spring trends the main feature of that month. The risk paid off though as this earned the magazine a nomination for best cover of the year. Vote here.

Improbatur 4/2012
Trendi wasn’t the only periodical to break new ground in 2012 though. Improbatur – the magazine for high school students – had also for years considered putting a young, attractive model on their cover, and following the lead of Trendi now finally had the guts to pull this off. Shocking as this may seen one has to take in consideration that the readership of 16 to 19-years olds are more open to radical solutions than older readers. Still, well worth a nomination. Vote here.

Talentia 2/2012
Joining the ranks of revolutionaries, 2012 also was the year Talentia magazine decided to put a young, attractive woman on their front cover. Everything seemed to go as planned on the day of the photoshoot until someone suddenly shouted “Stop! Not attractive enough!”, and the model was quickly covered up. Story has it the art director actually suggested a burka, but at the end a more medieval, european solution was decided upon. Vote here.

Tiede 10/2012
The real trailblazer of last year though got to be Tiede magazine who went that one step further by deciding to feature the face of a cuddly little pooch on the cover of their October issue. This may seem daring – but then Tiede is written by radical scientists who are used to blue-sky thinking. Vote here.

So, all in all a good year for magazine covers, and even though 2013 has barely begun we can already tell this year is going to be at least as exciting.

Vote for all runners up for Best Finnish Magazine cover here.

Remember this next time you get mail through the post:...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:44:00 +0200

Remember this next time you get mail through the post: there’s a reason why the stamp is positioned like it is.

Lihapiirakka + munaReadymadeFound on street 2011 (Thanks to...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:57:00 +0200

Lihapiirakka + muna
Readymade
Found on street 2011

(Thanks to Jussi Karjalainen for sharing this found object)