Biofore Magazine 2020

42

FEATURE

Han says that despite the challenges, the overall success of the project will ben- efit the subcontractor in the long term. “They understand the problems with plastic globally and they understand that this biobased material is the future,” Han says. “It was a good learning experience for them because this is the kind of case we will be facing in the future.” A team effort The coordination between Mysoda, Pen- tagon and UPMwas critical to making the project work, and it was also part of what made the case unique. “This has been a pioneering work,” says Jonas Eklöf. “Even as a raw material sup- plier, we have been very involved because so much technical expertise was needed.

We have been able to work together with the client and the designer, and helped them connect the dots with other stake- holders as well.” Aromaa and Solomon agree that this kind of cooperation is key to creating more sustainable solutions in the con- sumer market. “It’s a lot of pressure to put on the designers to say that we should design products in a more sustainable manner,” Aromaa says. “It’s impossible for a de- signer alone to make any change, and in this respect, it’s important that we have customers who are willing to take and use new materials and new solutions, and we need players like UPM who can provide material that is available for mass produc- tion. It is not the designer’s vision alone

that can change anything, but we need the consumers who are interested and all the partners and players who can really make it happen.” “It was quite an exciting journey,” says David Solomon. “We’re happy that we in- vested the time, money and effort because the end result is really beautiful, really sustainable and now it is becoming part of our DNA as a company. For us there is no way back with plastics.”

“It is not the designer’s vision alone that can change anything, but we need the consumers who are interested and all the partners and players who can really make it happen.”

Q & A with Arni Aromaa, Pentagon Design

What kinds of goals do you have in mind when you start a project? Since we work for a wide range of clients, there is always a wide range of goals and principles, but generally we aim for results that will provide better every- day life for ordinary people. At the same time, we always want to develop a competitive advantage for our customers. And what has become increasingly important in the last few years is sustainability. What are some ways this focus on sustainability has affected design? If we think in terms of the traditional values of Finnish design, I think the idea of longevity is a strong value in itself and is seen as one of themeasures of good design. If we think about this from the sustainability angle, it becomes very important. There are many products that don’t necessarily get old, but if peo- ple feel that the design is not up to date, then of course therewill be a lot of new

production and newwaste. Fromthat perspective, the singlemost important thingwe can do is try to design things so that they will be as long-lasting as possible. If something is used for five years or 15 years, there’s a huge impact froma sustainability perspective. What impact does the consumer have on your choices as a designer? I think there is a strong trend from the consumer side towards having fewer and better-quality items. Our experience has been that retailers are looking for new materials and new choices and they are looking en- tirely from a business point of view. Retail is sometimes presented as a gatekeeper that doesn’t let these new ideas in, but in this case, the consumers and the retailers are looking for new innovations. In a market economy, we have to be able to design products that are desirable and sustainable. What are some trends you see that will have an impact on design in the near future? Within design, there is a movement today to move from human-centric design to planet-centric design. In Scandinavian design and Finnish design, I think there is a strong heritage of human-centric thinking, de- signing for real people, for real needs, and for a better everyday, and this is good. But it is also part of the problem, because we have been focusing toomuch onwhat people need and not necessarilywhat is good for the planet. The wellbeing of the whole planet is, of course, also key for the wellbeing of humans.