Sivu ei ole saatavilla

Olet tainnut eksyä. Koita etsiä löytämäsi uusimmista artikkeleista tai hakemalla:

Stream of Life ja ajatuksia taiteesta

”Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.” Näin sanoi aikoinaan modernin taiteen mestari Paul Klee. Taide ei toista sitä, mitä näemme; pikemminkin se saa meidät näkemään.

Joskus vuosia sitten se on myös suomennettu näin: ”Taiteen tehtävä ei ole toistaa näkyvää, vaan tehdä näkyväksi.” Siinä muodossa se on jäänyt minun mieleeni.

Tätä ajatusta pidetään hyvin keskeisenä modernin abstraktin taiteen ajatuksena. Sen syntyaikoina Kleen ja Kandinskyn ajatukset olivat suuntautuneet ”näkymättömään todellisuuteen”, näkyvän visuaalisen maailman ulottumattomiin, taiteilijan omiin ajatuksiin ja tunteisiin, joita tehtiin maalaten näkyviksi.

Bauhausin mestarit, Klee ja Kandinsky, asuivat peheineen samassa paritalossa, työskentelivät läheisessä yhteistyössä ja vaikuttivat toistensa ajatuksiin vuodesta 1925 lähtien.

Mutta silloin kun kolmas suuri mestari Claude Monet maalasi jo vuonna 1874 impressionistien ensimmäiseen näyttelyyn työn, jonka nimi oli ’Impressio, auringonnousu’, se antoi nimen koko kuvataiteen uudelle ilmaisulle ja taiteen suuntaukselle. Mutta maalasiko Monet silloin vain näkyvää ulkoista todellisuutta, vai sisäistä näkymätöntä ajatusta työstään?

Kun Monet myöhemmin 1883 asettui perheineen asumaan Givernyn kylään ja rakennutti sinne puutarhan, lummelammet, japanilaisen kaarisillan ja kaksi ateljeeta, ja keskittyi maalaamaan lammen veden pintaa, lumpeita, valon leikkiä ja puiden heijasteita veden pinnassa, maalasiko hän vain ulkoista näkyvää todellisuutta vai sisäistä visiota niistä?

Monet on sanonut: ”Kukaan ei ole taiteilija, ellei hänellä ole kuvaa päässään ennen maalaamista, ja ellei hän ole varma omasta menetelmästään ja työnsä sommittelusta.”

Hänellä siis oli visio aikomuksistaan ja hän oli varma maalaustavastaan ja työnsä sommittelusta ennen maalaamista. Silloin hän saattoi antautua havainnoilleen ulkoisesta todellisuudesta, jonka hän yhdisti sisäiseen näkemykseensä. Näin syntyi sarjallisesti omiin havaintoihin ja ajatuksiin perustuvia vaikuttavia maalauksia.

”I will do water – beautiful, blue water”, hän sanoi. Mutta ei hän tehnyt vain vettä, vaan paljon enemmän. Viehättäviä havaintoja valosta, väristä, vedenpinnasta ja lumpeista. Ja Monetin näön heiketessä, ikuistetut näkymät muuttuivat aste asteelta – ennen mestarin kuolemaa – lähes abstrakteiksi maalauksiksi.

Monet sanoi myös: ”Ihmiset keskustelevat taiteestani ja teeskentelevät ymmärtävänsä sitä – kuin olisi tarpeen ymmärtää – kun on yksinkertaista ja välttämätöntä rakastaa sitä.”

Ei taidetta siis tarvitse ymmärtää pitääkseen siitä. Sen voi vastaanottaa kokemuksena ymmärtämättä, ihastuneena, yllättyen, vain rakastuen siihen.

Neljäs suuri yksinäisyydessä viihtyvä mestari, Paul Cézanne, pohdiskeli samoihin aikoihin näin: ”Luonto toimittaa minulle ainekset, tällä taivaankappaleella se on ihmisen nauttima harvinainen etuoikeus. Se avaa silmämme kuten muidenkin olentojen, näkymälleen ja antaa meille aistit nauttia siitä.

Luonto varustaa meidät kuten kaikki olennot aivoilla, joista tulee aistimustemme kohtauspaikka. Mutta tajuamme hyvin, että ihmisen älyllisyys yksin voi yhdistää tosiasiat ja johtaa sattumista mahdolliset oletukset ja yleiset lait. Juuri tämän meidän osaksemme tulleen ajatusten ylivallan ansiosta olemme kohtaloamme voimakkaampia ja saatamme pysyä hengissä.” (……)

”Olen pohdiskellut, tulisiko tämä niin lyhyt meille suotu aika – päästä yhteyteen asioiden kanssa – paremmin käytetyksi, jos yrittäisimme ymmärtää kokonaisuudet ja sulattaa itseemme kaiken saavutettavissa olevan. Liikaa ajattelevat aivot ovat liian raskas taakka ruumiille.” (…….)

”Itsessäni nuoruus suree lyhenevää elämää, se hallitsee minussa jäljellä olevia voimia, se haluaa nauttia viimeisistä auringonpilkahduksista, kaikesta mikä on kerran jätettävä, vehreydestä, vedestä, tuulesta, aamusta, illasta, se haluaa vielä nähdä – vielä rakastaa ennen katoamistaan.”

Tuo viimeinen lause, jonka Paul Cézanne on lausunut, se puhuttelee myös minua, taiteen harrastajaa, jonka elämä vähitellen kääntyy kalkkiviivoille. Siksi minussakin nuoruus suree lyhenevää elämää, se hallitsee minussa jäljellä olevia voimia, se haluaa nauttia viimeisistä auringonpilkahduksista, kaikesta mikä on kerran jätettävä, vehreydestä, vedestä, tuulesta, aamusta, illasta, se haluaa vielä nähdä – vielä rakastaa ennen katoamistaan.

Ja kun vielä yritän maalata, ja nimeän sarjan Stream of Life ja lainaan Herakleitosta: ”Kaikki muuttuu, mikään ei ole pysyvää”. sekä hänen toista keskeistä ajatustaan: ”Et voi kahdesti astua samaan virtaan, uudet vedet siinä jo virtaavat”, yritän antaa katsojan ajatuksille suunnan katsella kuviani.

Ne eivät ole kuvia ulkoisesta näkymästä, vaan sisäisestä visiosta ja visuaalisista muistoistani, kun olen katsellut rantapuiden peilautumaa tyynen veden pintaan, valon välkettä puiden lomasta, vettä hiljaa virtaavassa joessa… Siihen sekoittuvat omat tunteet, muistot ja elämänkokemukset. Valoisat päivät, auringon kultaamat illat, yön hämy, intohimo, ilo, pettymykset ja suru.

Vaikka minun kuvani eivät pysty välittämäänkään ajatuksia yhtä kirkkaasti, kuin mestareiden maalaukset tekevät, silti kaiken takana on ollut aito pyrkimys. Mutta maalatessani en jahtaa jotakin selkeää ennalta päätettyä kuvaa, koska se kahlitsee… Siksi minä vain maalaan, kokeilen, teen versioita, ja annan sattumalle tilaa, ja katson mitä harjoitelmistani syntyy.

Näin syntyivät kuvat elämänvirrasta, ehkä omasta, ehkä kuvitellusta, ja tässä on kuvista kokoamani videon katsojalle pieni selitys niistä. Mutta kun maalari maalaa jotakin kuvitelmaansa, ei hän maalaa vain sitä. Sen ohella hän maalaa myös omaa muotokuvaansa. Niin minäkin.

Mukavaa matkaa muutosten virtaan Stream of Life

Erkki Ruuhinen

Pieniä kommentteja emeritus-professori Vesa Kanniaiselle

On hyvin huolestuttavaa, kuinka lyhytnäköisesti te professori Vesa Kanniainen tarkastelette yritysten yhteiskunnallista vastuuta Ilta-Sanomien haastattelussa 25.9.2020, ja kuinka sokea te olette sen suhteen.
           Elämme rajallisten resurssien maailmassa, jossa teollisuus, kulutus, ja kanpungistuminen tuhoaa luonnonvaroja, ilmastoa, vesistöjä, maaperää ja metsiä kiihtyvällä vauhdilla, ja hävittää koko maapallon eläimistöä ja lajeja, sekä kaventaa huolestuttavan nopeasti elinmahdollisuuksia koko ihmiskunnalta.
           Me voimme ajatella, kuten te professori Vesa Kanniainen ajattelette, että hallituksen ja pääministerin ei tulisi olla kiinnostunut tästä, eikä myöskään siitä, miten yksittäiset yritykset toimivat – päättäessään lakkauttaa esimerkiksi voitollisesti toimivan paperitehtaan Suomessa.
           Teitä ei kiinnosta se, että UPM ilmeisesti valehteli julkisuuteen kertoessaan Kaipolan paperitehtaan lakkauttamisesta, että tehdas tuottaisi tappiota. Kun tähän kysymykseen tivattiin toimitusjohtaja Jussi Pesoselta vastausta Ylen Ykkösaamussa, hän vastasi:
           ”Graafisia papereita UPM:ssä ohjataan kokonaisuutena. Kuten on nähty viimeisen neljänneksen luvuista, koko paino- ja kirjoituspapereiden tulos oli tappiolla. Siitä voi tehdä sen johtopäätöksen, että koko liiketoiminta ei ole kannattavaa eivätkä tehtaat ole kannattavia.”
           Toisin sanoen UPM sulki heinäkuussa Chapellen paperitehtaan Ranskassa. Suomessa yhtiö aikoo sulkea nyt Kaipolan paperitehtaan ja myydä Shottonin paperitehtaan Walesissa. Tämä ei kuitenkaan tarkoita sitä, että Kaipolan tehdas olisi ollut tappiota tuottava.

Olisiko pääministeri Sanna Marinin pitänyt myötäillä Jussi Pesosen kertomaa kantaa, vai oliko hänellä pääministerinä ja SDP:n puheenjohtajana eettinen velvollisuus sanoa juuri niin kuin hän sanoi?
           Pesonen korosti myös sitä, että ainut peruste tehtaiden sulkemiselle on kustannuskilpailukyky. Häneen mukaansa Suomessa on parinkymmenen vuoden ajan otettu velkaa ja korotettu veroja samanaikaisesti kun rakenteelliset uudistukset ovat jääneet tekemättä.
           Pesonen käytti siis ’poliittisen puheenvuoron’, jonka te ilmeisesti hyväksytte, mutta pidätte moitittavana sitä, että pääministeri Sanna Marin piti myös poliittisen puheenvuoron kommentoidessaan lyhyesti tehtaan lakkautuspäätöstä.
           Olen pannut merkille, että oppositopoliitikot ja työnantajajärjestöjen nokkamiehet ovat kärkkäästi moittineet nuorta pääministeriä lausunnostaan, jota myös te arvostelette… ikäänkuin UPM:n tehtaan lakkautuspäätös ja siihen liittyvä Pesosen haastattelu, eivät olisi luonteeltaan poliittisia.
           Samaa sokeutta medioiden omassa lukutaidossa edustaa myös UPM:n hallituksen puheenjohtaja Björn Wahlroosin aiemmin tänä vuonna samasta asiasta Ylen Ykkösaamun haastattelussa kertoma kanta, jonka mukaan tehtaita Suomessa suljetaan… Sitäkin pidettiin vain neutraalina hallituksen puheenjohtajan puheena, täysin epäpoliittisena lausuntona, jolla ei muka haluta vaikuttaa lainkaan työmarkkinaneuvotteluihin ja hallituksen tuleviin päätöksiin… Wahlroos halusi vaikuttaa ja haluaa vaikuttaa.
           Kumpikin haastattelu ja Kaipolan tehtaan sulkemispäätös ovat saman viestintä- strategian yhteinen vaikutusyritys – yhden yrityksen poliittissävyinen operaatio – jota Suomen lehdistö ja toimittajat pitävät täysin neutraalina, jota se kuitenkaan ei ole, ja joka ajoitettiin niin kuin se ajoitettiin.

On surullista, että te professori Kanniainen, ette halua nähdä mistä kaikesta tässä on kysymys. Surullisinta on se, että te ette myöskään näe sitä mahdollisuutta, että UPM olisi halutessaan voinut toimia toisin. Kysymys päätöksessä oli ajoituksesta ja tahdosta. Tässä tapauksessa tahdon puutteesta.
           UPM olisi voinut siirtää päätöstään korona-pandemian jälkeiseen aikaan, jolloin Kaipolan tehtaan lopettamisen seurausvaikutukset olisivat lievemmät, koska korvaavia työpaikkoja Jämsässä ei ole, eikä niitä nopeasti Jämsään synny.
           Kun puhumme yritysten yhteiskuntavastuusta, jokainen empaattinen ja myötätuntoinen ihminen voi tarkastella yrityksen päätöstä myös nuoren pääministerin näkökulmasta. Humaaniin etiikkaan kuuluu kyky nähdä asioita kärsivien osallisten näkökulmasta, mutta jos se puuttuu, asioita voi tarkastella myös siten kuin te, arvoisa emeritusprofessori Kanniainen, kapeakatseisesti tarkastelette.
           Te ette ole kiinnostunut lainkaan siitä, mitä tarkoittaa tehtaan sulkeminen pienessä kaupungissa, joka tarjoaa työtä 450 ihmiselle, jossa korvaavia työpaikkoja ei ole olemassa.
           Teitä ei kiinnosta se, miten Juuso Walden loi nämä tehtaat, koulut, lastentarhat, asunnot ja koko pienen yhteisön, ja mitä siitä seuraa, että toimeentulo perheissä loppuu ehkä 1500 ihmiseltä.
           Teitä ei kiinnosta myöskään se, miten nämä ihmiset maksavat asuntolainansa, autonsa, ja kuinka he kouluttavat lapsensa…kun koko maailma heidän ympäriltään romahtaa.

On surullista, miten te katselette tätä asiaa ja näette maailman, professori Kanniainen. Rajallisten resurssien maailmassa me lähestymme kiihtyvällä vauhdilla sitä tilannetta, jossa myös liberaalia globaalia yritystoimintaa tulisi tarkastella toisin… Silloin pitäisi pystyä näkemään, mitä vastuuta yritykset voivat kantaa niistä ihmisistä, jotka ovat täysin riippuvaisia sen toiminnasta.
           Onko yrityksen toiminnan ainut hyväksyttävä tavoite vain tuottaa voittoa osakkeenomistajille, vai tulisiko yrityksellä olla myös muita laajempia tavoitteita? Näihin kysymyksiin joutuu tuota pikaa vastaamaan myös UPM ja monet muut yritykset. Ehkä joskus myös professori Vesa Kanniainen.

Erkki Ruuhinen, emer.tait.prof.

Thoughts about design

”God knew, when creating the woman, the importance of attractive design.” I wrote this note some time in the early nineties. The idea was to use the phrase later when perhaps talking or writing about design. About what design actually is.
           This might well be a wake-up call for women, I guess, for religious fundamentalists and freethinkers, to start sharpening their pens. I know, of course, that you, too, might think that my view may be a little off the mark. But even so: let´s get on!
           My aim is to point out what the purpose of design truly is and how design demonstrates itself within nature and evolution.
           The Creator, the Great Unknown, who started the development on this planet, the development that we call evolution, seems to have been very well aware of that mysterious power of design, to use it cleverly and purposefully.
           The Father of evolution knew, at the first dawn of time already, the consequences of the power of design. And precisely therefore, that Great Unknown decided to add the irresistible charm of design to all the species he created. To people and animals. To birds and the fish. To flowers, trees and bushes. Not one single species, individual or detail was left unobserved.
           Everything was designed very beautifully, very carefully and highly individually.
           The Father of evolution decided to give some of the species a more aesthetic shape than perhaps to some others, a more attractive colour or a more delightful sound to some others.  Each and every single species was given their individual characteristics. No one was left out.

That Great Unknown presented every single species and every individual with a mysterious charm of their own. So that they can easily single out. Furthermore, he also gave them senses, with which to observe and recognize the attractiveness of the other individuals of the same species. To see the beauty. To hear the voice. To observe the form. Or to identify the scent.
           But why did the Father of evolution give all the individuals and species
that mystical power? He probably just wanted to ensure the continuity of life on this small planet.
           But how does the power of design affect between sexes within a certain species? They get charmed by each other and mate with each other. They get offspring and carry on with their family.
           The more attractive the shape of design with an individual, the more seductive the individual is in the eyes of the same species. And precisely therefore, that particular individual draws the attention of the others better, mates and gets offspring.
           This is how design is acting within nature. It is a power of the evolution
process. It is the power behind the choice of pairs, the competition for the best mates and reproduction, the fight for territories and the best living conditions.
           So design is not just an innovation by man – even if, according to traditional views, design came about at the early stages of human development. At a time when people started looking for better functioning forms of their daily tools, clothes and weapons. Or added mystical powers to their religious cult equipment. This tradition has been carried on with for thousands of years within different cultures. This is how the shapes and forms have developed even further and further.

But what kind of a power design actually is within nature and the evolution process? Design is a form of visual communications, a form which can be seen, particularly well, within nature.
           The elks will not grow their mighty antlers in vain. There is always a purpose involved. They are tools in fighting for the leadership of the flock. But they also are nature-shaped equipment for communications. For a young male, with just one little tine on the forehead, would be no point trying to fight a bull with a large antler, to gain the favours of the females of the flock.
           Male birds do not grow their colourful feather outfits and sing their beautiful songs just for fun. They want to look taller and posher than the other males when competing for the favours of the females, for better nesting places and for territories of their own.
           Even the flowers are acting most selfishly when they blossom. The larger the flowers, the higher their attractiveness for the insects, who, when gathering nectar, also act as pollinators and guarantors of reproduction. This is why the flowers with the largest and visually most attractive bloom are capable of reproduction better than individuals with lesser qualities.
           So design is a tool for communications. The individuals of any species are differing from the others by colour and form, sound and scent, movement and behaviour. These qualities are helping them identify themselves as unique individuals.
           Therefore, by nature, design always is a form of communications. A way to differ from the others. The purpose of design is to give the individual a competitive edge with keeping alive.
           Precisely this also is the basis for any corporate planning and design of products. The aim is to find the right identification for the product and to make it commercially attractive. More attractive than the rivals. This is why the bumblebees, the customers, fly around it and, eventually, end up buying it.

But then, what is design? It is contents and aesthetic added value with products and packaging, added value through form, colour, thoughts and visual ideas. Or with leaflets and brochures, advertising and the websites. Or with office premises and sales outlets.
           But design is not just aesthetics, generated by form-giving and colours. It is much more. Designing means thinking. It is all about knowledge and ability to express, to impress. It means understanding the needs of the companies and their respective clienteles. It means spotting new opportunities. It means seeing, finding new angles, exploring ways to take advantage.
           Even so, design is not, as such, the highest objective and/or value of any corporate activity. It is a tool with which the company can improve the quality and attractiveness of its products and its overall competitive edge.
           Design means a multitude of functions and dimensions. Design can focus on one single product. Or the whole company. Or the corporate strategy and the modus operandi, the operational method. In cases where design is focused on the whole company, we usually talk about designing and giving form to the corporate image.

When just one single product is at stake, we talk about product design. In cases of advertising we are always dealing with designing the corporate communications and that of individual corporate products. When talking about advertising, it is far too common to speak about ideas and messages only, not at all about design. Even if planning advertising is, essentially, planning corporate and product design.
           In my view, even the strategic planning and any concepting also mean design. Through all this, the platform for the overall guidelines and finding individual solutions in advertising can be created. Therefore, advertising should be seen as an essential part of the corporate image design. As well as all the brochures, the other printed matter and the websites. They all are included in the concept of corporate design.
           The corporate image never is just an emblem or a logo.  Or new corporate colours and typography. No, the corporate image is the combined picture of all communications and activities of the company. This simply means that the corporate image always is a much larger and wider concept than just a new company name or a new logo.
           Even so, we can see, repeatedly, headlines and news in the media, declaring: company X have renewed their corporate image – even if having just obtained a new logo. Such a piece of news can be seen as a most revealing one when it comes to standards of knowledge among journalists and the overall thoughts about design within the Finnish community.

But what does the corporate image design actually mean? My answer, in brief: The objective of design is to give the company a clear identification, to create an identifiable face for it. And to improve this image and the company´s competitiveness in the market. Thanks to good design, the best companies and the best products clearly excel themselves over their rivals with poorer design qualities.
           This makes design a strategic tool in the market competition. for the corporate management. And it is indeed a most splendid tool of communications.
           Design plays a considerable role in people´s daily lives, too. Even tonight, tens of thousands of women are designing their appearances, making up their faces, dressing up in their glamorous party frocks and heading for the city lights. And the men will be polishing their cars, tapping a few drops of aftershave on their cheeks and feeling fit for the mating rituals.
           I wish them all good luck.

Erkki Ruuhinen, designer, emer.art.professor

PS. This article was first published in the book
”Suomalainen design” (Finnish design), in 2008.

Ajatuksia muotoilusta

”Luoja tiesi, luodessaan naisen, mikä merkitys on attraktiivisella muotoilulla.” Näin kirjoitin muistiin joskus 90-luvun alussa. Ajattelin käyttää ajatusta myöhemmin, joutuessani puhumaan tai kirjoittamaan muotoilusta. Siitä, mitä muotoilu on.
           Arvaan, että mietelmä herättää naiset, uskonnolliset fundamentalistit ja vapaa-ajattelijat hiomaan kyniään. Ymmärrän hyvin, että sinäkin pidät aiko-mustani huonosti harkittuna, mutta käykäämme silti asiaan käsiksi.
           Haluan osoittaa, mikä on muotoilun tarkoitus, ja miten muotoilu ilmaisee olemustaan luonnossa ja evoluutiossa.
           Luoja – tuo meille tuntematon – joka käynnisti evoluutioksi kutsutun kehityksen tällä planeetalla, tunsi ilmeisen hyvin muotoilun salaperäisen voiman, ja käytti sitä taitavasti hyväkseen.
           Evoluution isä tiesi jo aikojen alussa, kuinka muotoilun voima vaikuttaa. Ja siksi tuo meille tuntematon, liitti muotoilun avulla vastustamattoman viehätysvoiman kaikkiin luomiinsa lajeihin. Ihmisiin ja eläimiin. Lintuihin ja kaloihin. Kukkiin, puihin ja pensaisiin. Mikään laji, yksilö tai yksityiskohta ei jäänyt häneltä huomaamatta. Kaikki hän muotoili hyvin kauniisti, huolellisesti ja tavattoman yksilöllisesti.
           Evoluution isä antoi toisille lajeille muita esteettisemmän muodon, joillekin viehättävän värin ja toisille kauniin äänen. Jokainen laji ja yksilö sai omat yksilölliset ominaispiirteensä. Kukaan ei jäänyt niistä osattomaksi.
           Tuo meille tuntematon, antoi salaperäisen viehätysvoiman jokaiselle lajille ja jokaiselle yksilöille. Niin että ne erottuvat toisistaan. Lisäksi hän antoi niille myös aistit, joiden avulla ne voivat havaita, tuntea ja kokea lajikumppaninsa viehättävyyden. Nähdä kauneuden. Kuulla äänen. Tuntea muodon, ja tunnistaa houkuttelevan tuoksun.

Miksi evoluution isä, antoi kaikille yksilöille ja lajeille tuon salaperäisen voiman? Luultavasti hän halusi varmistaa elämän jatkumisen tällä pienellä planeetalla.
           Mutta miten muotoilun avulla luotu voima vaikuttaa lajien sisällä sukupuolten välillä? Ne ihastuvat toisiinsa ja pariutuvat toistensa kanssa. Saavat jälkeläisiä ja jatkavat lajiaan, ja sukuaan.
           Mitä attraktiivisemmin muotoiltu yksilö on, sitä houkuttelevampi se myös lajikumppaninsa silmissä on. Ja siksi se vetää silloin muita paremmin puoleensa kosijoita, pariutuu ja saa jälkeläisiä.
           Näin siis toimii muotoilu luonnossa. Se on voima evoluutioprosessissa. Sen avulla tapahtuu lajien sisällä parien valinta, kilpailu kumppaneista ja suvun jatkaminen. Kamppailu elintilasta ja parhaista elinolosuhteista.
           Muotoilu ei ole siis ollut vain ihmisen keksintöä. Vaikka perinteisen käsityksen mukaan muotoilu alkoi vasta ihmisen oman kehityksen varhaisvaiheessa. Silloin kun he tietoisesti etsivät muotoa käyttöesineille, vaatteille ja aseille. Tai liittivät mystisiä voimia uskonnolliseen kulttiesineistöön. Tätä perinnettä on jatkettu tuhansia vuosia eri kulttuureissa. Näin muotoja on hiottu yhä pitemmälle.

Mutta millainen voima muotoilu on luonnossa ja evoluutioprosessissa? Muotoilu on visuaalista viestintää ja tämä muotoilun ominaisuus näyttäytyy erityisen selvästi luonnossa.
           Hirvet eivät kasvata komeita sarviaan turhaan. Niillä on aina tarkoitus. Ne ovat välineitä taistelussa lauman johtajuudesta, mutta ne ovat myös luonnon muovaamia välineitä viestinnässä. Nuoren, yksipiikkisen uroksen, on turha haastaa kamppailuun suurisarvista sonnia, taisteltaessa lauman naaraista.
           Uroslinnut eivät kasvata värikästä höyhenpukuaan ja laula kauniisti vain huvin vuoksi. Ne haluavat näyttää muita koiraita kookkaammilta ja komeammilta kilpailtaessa naaraiden suosiosta, pesäpaikoista ja omasta reviiristä.
           Jopa kukat toimivat itsekkäästi kukkiessaan. Mitä isommat kukat yksilö pystyy kasvattamaan, sitä paremmin se vetää puoleensa hyönteisiä, jotka mettä kerätessään toimivat samalla kukan pölyttäjinä ja suvun jatkajina. Näin kookkaimmat ja visuaalisesti houkuttelevimmat kukat pystyvät jatkamaan sukuaan muita lajitovereitaan paremmin.

Muotoilu on siis väline viestinnässä. Värin ja muodon, äänen ja tuoksun, liikkeen ja käyttäytymisen avulla yksilöt erottuvat toisista yksilöistä. Näiden ominaisuuksien avulla ne identifioituvat yksilöiksi ja erottuvat lajitovereistaan.
           Muotoilu on siis aina olemukseltaan viestintää. Erottumisen väline. Muotoilun tehtävä on parantaa yksilöiden elinmahdollisuuksia kilpailutilanteessa. Kykyä selviytyä muita paremmin hengissä
           Tähän ajatukseen perustuu myös yritysten tuotesuunnittelu ja muotoilu. Sen tehtävä on identifioida tuote ja tehdä se kaupallisesti houkuttelevaksi. Muita houkuttelevammaksi. Näin siis kimalaiset – tuotteesta kiinnostuneet ihmiset – pörräävät sen ympärillä ja lopulta ostavat sen.
           Mutta mitä muotoilu on? Se on muodon, värin, ajatusten ja visuaalisen idean luomaa sisältöä ja esteettistä lisäarvoa tuotteissa ja pakkauksissa. Tai yrityksen esitteissä, mainonnassa ja nettisivuilla. Tai yrityksen toimitiloissa ja myyntipisteissä.
           Muotoilu ei ole kuitenkaan vain pelkkää estetiikkaa, joka ratkaistaan muodoilla ja väreillä, vaan paljon muuta. Muotoilu on ajattelua. Se on tietoa ja ilmaisutaitoa.
Se on yrityksen ja asiakkaiden tarpeiden ymmärtämistä. Uusien mahdollisuuksien tunnistamista. Oivaltamista, näkemistä ja hyödyntämistä.

Muotoilu ei ole kuitenkaan yritystoiminnan päämäärä ja arvo sinänsä. Se on väline, jonka avulla yritys voi parantaa tuotteittensa laatua ja kiinnosta-vuutta sekä omaa kilpailukykyään.
           Muotoilulla on hyvin monta tehtävää ja monta ulottuvuutta. Muotoilun kohteena voi olla yksittäinen tuote tai koko yritys. Tai yrityksen strategia ja toimintamalli. Kun muotoilun kohteena on koko yritys, silloin puhumme yrityskuvan suunnittelusta ja muotoilusta.
           Kun kohteena on vain yksittäinen tuote, silloin puhumme tuotesuunnit-telusta ja tuotteen muotoilusta. Mainonnan suunnittelussa on aina kysymys yrityksen ja tuotteen viestinnän muotoilusta. Mainonnasta puhuttaessa meillä puhutaan aivan liian usein vain ideasta ja sanomasta, mutta ei lainkaan muotoilusta. Vaikka mainonnan suunnittelu on luonteeltaan yritys- ja tuote-kuvan muotoilua.
           Minun mielestäni mainonnan strateginen suunnittelu ja konseptien suunnittelu on myös muotoilua. Niiden avulla luodaan edellytykset yrityksen mainonnan linjalle sekä yksittäisille ratkaisuille.
           Siksi mainonta tulisi aina nähdä nykyistä tietoisemmin yrityskuvan muotoiluna. Aivan samoin kuin kaikki esitteet, painotuotteet ja nettisivustot. Ne kaikki ovat yrityskuvan todellista muotoilu
           Yrityskuva ei ole koskaan pelkästään vain tunnus tai logo, tai uudet värit ja typografia, vaan yrityksen kaikesta viestinnästä ja toiminnasta syntyvä kuva yrityksestä.
           Tämä näkemys tarkoittaa sitä, että yrityskuva on paljon laajempi käsite kuin yrityksen uusi nimi tai logo. Vaikka toistuvasti näemme medioissa uutisia otsikolla: yritys x uudisti kuvansa, kun kyse on pelkästään uudesta logosta.
           Uutinen kertoo jotain hyvin olennaista sekä toimittajien tiedoista että suomalaisesta muotoiluajattelusta.

Mutta mitä yrityskuvan muotoilu itse asiassa on? Vastaan lyhyesti.
           Muotoilun tavoite on identifioida yritys ja luoda sille helposti tunnistettavat kasvot. Ja parantaa sen imagoa ja kilpailuasemaa markkinoilla. Muotoilun avulla parhaat yritykset ja tuotteet erottuvat aina heikommin muotoilluista lajitovereistaan.
           Muotoilu on yritysjohdolle strateginen väline kaupallisessa kilpailussa. Se on loistava väline viestinnässä.
           Muotoilulla on tärkeä rooli myös ihmisten omassa elämässä. Tänäkin iltana kymmenet tuhannet naiset muotoilevat olemustaan. Meikkaavat kasvonsa, sonnustautuvat houkutteleviin hepeniinsä ja suuntaavat katseensa kohti kaupungin valoja. Ja miehet puunaavat autonsa, sipaisevat partavettä poskilleen ja suuntaavat katseensa kohti soidinaluetta.
           Toivotan heille kaikille menestystä.

Erkki Ruuhinen, designer, emer.art.prof.

PS. Tämä Ajatuksia muotoilusta -artikkeli on julkaistu
aiemmin kirjassa Suomalainen Design vuonna 2008.

Designers’ Columns: Mere talk about design does not generate success

Top-quality design is always needed when products wish to make it on the market and as companies compete for clients.
           It is no longer enough for products to be technically good – they must also be well designed. But what is good design? How do we define it, where is it found, and under which circumstances is it born? Success stories in design are nearly always found at the culmination points of technological development. The designer learns the significance of a new technology and is then able to renew product design through products that no one has manufactured before.
           Examples of this are Charles and Ray Eames. Charles used to teach design at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, at the time led by Eliel Saarinen. Eero Saarinen influenced him in his work. The men started to develop a chair together by bending veneer sheet, but due to technical difficulties Eero Saarinen backed off. Charles Eames kept going, this time with his partner Ray. This led to a spectacular commercial success.

Another example is Apple, also hailing from the USA. Its success has been unbelievable. Even after working with a Mac nearly 20 years now – and although never having been a true fanatic – after reading the Steve Jobs autobiography I understand that as a product design manager he was a genius of his time. I recommend the book to everyone with an interest in design.
           Apple’s products have opened incomprehensible opportunities for people through IT. The external, visual design has not been the core of the success but instead, the content and the user interface. Also, one must take into account the exceptional ability of Apple products to be of service to people with no IT education.

Good products mean destruction for the poor ones. The way Apple accelerated its development speed has forced Nokia almost on their knees within the smart-phone sector. Nokia´s commitment to the Windows platform most obviously was a big strategic mistake. Had Nokia chosen Google´s Android instead, Nokia might have been able to keep up to speed with their production of touch-screen smart-phones, thus also preserving the trust and loyalty of  their customers. This would have also meant grabbing a larger slice of this rapidly growing market segment. But now, Nokia has lost several years of time, as well as suffered severe losses with their market share, reputation and profitability.
           (This chapter (in Italic) had to be removed from my column, published on the wdchelsinki2012 website, by the demand of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 organization. Had this removal not been done, the whole article would have been left unpublished. When the sale of Nokia phones to Microsoft then was made public September 3, 2013, the assumption proved correct. But, in Finland, typically, the media and the communications people do have the tendency, of course, to listen to ’carefully selected critics´ only.)

A third really good example of design is Ikea. The company’s products are criticised in Finnish design circles, but one should appreciate the product design concept in all its genius. It has led Ikea to unbelievable commercial success. No other furniture house in the world has achieved similar success. According to Wikipedia, in 2011 Ikea had 287 stores in 26 countries with 655 million visitors, and a catalogue of 9500 products. Ikea’s turnover last year was 23.1 billion Euros. Finland’s furniture export in total accounted to only 242 million Euros in 2008, meaning one-thousandth of Ikea’s turnover.

In the online publication I started in January I said: “Those providing the explanations – graduates, doctors and professors as well as academic theses – are produced in such numbers that one might expect Finnish products soon to dominate the entire world, but for some reason this does not seem to be happening.” www.designer.fi/diary
           But where does the problem lie and what has hindered success? In Finland we talk and write about design on a shallow level. For the most part, it is all formalism, fashion, style, surface and hype – only talk. This problem can be heard in public speeches, in teaching and in the words of designers and designer associations. The commercialisation of products requires far more than just design or mere talk. And this remaining part is uncharted territory for us Finns.
           Commercial success calls for significant innovations and the ability to exploit them to one’s benefit. Nokia found success in the innovations of its time, but has not been able to follow the technological change brought on by Apple. Those providing explanations do not create the product innovations in companies, nor do they come up with the concepts for success. They do not set the optimal conditions for success. 

What should be changed in order for Finnish companies and design to enjoy better success? The way we talk about design needs to change. Design should be more visibly seen in the context of the product and its commercial value. Design forms a part of the success, but not necessarily the most important part.
           Design should be seen in relation to product innovation and its meaning to customers. The value of design is born out of this relation. If design aims at only cosmetically enhancing a product but includes no additional value to the customer, its appeal will not be enough to lure the masses.
           The success of design is not determined by explanations in schools, in media or in export initiatives – of which World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 is an example. They lack the most important success factor: a real link to product development and to commercial actions.

Erkki Ruuhinen

World Design Capital Helsinki 2012: The writer is a graphic designer and professor emeritus of design. He has retired from his professional career but nevertheless remains an active practitioner of design and has published
critical thoughts on designs in the following addresses: www.designer.fi/diary

Questions and Answers to Tapani Aartomaa on Posters 1978

All the readers know, of course, what a poster is, don´t you? How they look like, what they usually tell and why they are being made. As well as the merits they are valued for. To sum it all up: what is essential, important or even a necessity about posters.
           In my experience, particularly knowledgeable about posters are all those who commission them. Very often ordinary people, too – those who have sometimes been browsing some posters. One further group should be mentioned: agency bosses of elder generations.
           But even more knowledgeable, however, are the representatives of visual art, art critics, designers, architects, advertising planners, teachers of planning, people who write columns on culture and – happy not to have forgotten – art museum principals, as well as film and theatre directors.
           The only one not to know just about anything on posters is the poster designer; not what a poster actually is, and surely not what a good poster is like. Everybody else seems to master the subject of posters either – at least – a little better or very much better than the poster designer.
           For a poster designer, this can sometimes be very frustrating, very regrettable and very humiliating. Perhaps it is just all this that makes us poster designers so very humble. Quite often far too humble. Designers very seldom bring forward any views on their own work in public. They leave this in the hands of those experts. It´s probably because of this that the designers find themselves left alone in their search for the unique, complete and final conception of a poster.
           As they carry on with their work, they also carry on their personal search, maybe never finding a lasting solution. But this does not mean, however, that they would be prepared to accept any known interpretations from others, as final explanations.
           Some very simple questions keep haunting them. What is the key function, purpose and essence of a poster? How can we, unambiguously, define the quality and the value of a poster in relation with communications, visual culture, art or any other values of our time. Sometimes poster designers find themselves pondering: Is it really true that it´s all the others that know the complete, definite and final answers to these questions?
           The depth of expertise connected with posters, the confrontation of opinions, can be seen in Finland in a number of variations between involved parties. It can be seen in the relationship between the client and the poster planner; between writers on posters and the poster planner; as well as between designers, visual artists, architects and the poster planner.
           All of this speaks for itself about the status and valuation of graphic design and posters in this country. It´s also been clearly visible that within these confrontations, the poster designers have been the passive, silent and receiving party, while the others have been active at presenting public views on their work.
           Dear colleagues, what is the reason why we remain silent? Wouldn´t it just be high time to start speaking our mind, based on our personal work and experience? It´s fully possible that our answers may not be fully correct, or that they will not tell the unquestionable truth or that they may differ from the publicly accepted views. But even then, they may prove worthy enough to bring forward some new ideas.
           This was my personal warming-up into the subjct, based on which I shall now introduce you to some of my personal answers to questions which I have been pondering in my role as a poster designer.

1. What is a poster? In very general terms, a poster is a printed or painted advertisement, larger than an ordinary newspaper ad. It´s a medium of communication, and as such, a many-faced one. It thrives on a variety of ingredients from visual art, photography, literature, advertising, currents of thought and fashion. Almost from anything that can help it – thanks to poster designers – renew, find new forms, contents and expression.
           A poster is a medium meant for visual communications, a medium that operates and influences in all thinkable connections in the space between pure trading and participating visual arts. At its best, a poster is like a theatre play squeezed into just one plain illustration. It is based on a certain message aimed for the recipients, the theatre audience. To tell the story, the message has been given a visual-verbal dramatization, set-up and technical form, the actual presentation and direction.

2. What is the function of a poster? The main function of a poster is to convey the commercial and/or ideological message from the sponsor to the recipients. In other words, to people, whose opinions and/or behaviour the sponsor wants to have influence upon, through the message of the poster.

3. How to evaluate the quality of posters? As a poster is a medium of com-munication, its value, from the sponsor´s point of view, can be defined, first and foremost, by its performance within the communications and persuasion process. But there are other ways to evaluate posters, too.
           Ranging from fully subjective individual views up to research-based objectivity targeting. Between these two, almost anything can be found. Many people think that the most important single ingredient is the visual presentation, i.e. the set-up of the play. Some others may think that the most important thing is the idea of a poster, the dramatization. And then there will be those who think that it all boils down to how well the actual message of the play gets across to the viewer. Supporters of some other aspects may also be found.
           When all of these valuations will be further spiced by a variety of timely variables, the soup is ready to be served: what sort of a role and development grade do the posters represent in the visual culture, visual arts and graphic design of our time? How does the poster reflect the development in advertising, photography, drawing and typography? What does an ideal poster look like, as a part of our visual environment? How good is it, technically, as a printed matter? How well does it reflect the fashion, taste and ideas of its own time? The list is endless.
           Personally, I find that the most important basis for any such valuation is how well the poster manages to convey its message, how well it can reach out and touch the recipient, how well it has been adapted into the timely mode and how well the overall approach can be appreciated. How superficial or how profound is the thinking, the actual content and the visual quality of a poster?

4. How does the valuation process look like within juries of highly notified poster competitions? As the list of varying aspects shows, posters can be judged and evaluated from many different viewpoints. There just isn´t any such single approach that would enjoy even national, let alone inter-national acceptance. Therefore, even the most authoritative international juries are just a concoction of views of their individual members. And the decisions made by the judges only reflect the internal power balance inside the juries, as well as the compromises which have been reached on a case-by-case basis.

5. What about the differences of valuations in various countries? Are there differing schools in posters? The answer is yes, to both questions. In my view, there are clearly differing ´poster schools´ such as the Polish (plus other socialist countries), the Japanese, the Swiss-German, and the British-American-Swedish one.

6. How can these differing angles of view be defined? How does, e.g., a Polish poster look like? My view is that in a Polish poster, the emphasis is not so much on the clarity and effectiveness with conveying the message, as is the case within western communications.
           Instead, the key emphases can be found in other values: in rich forms, in imaginative thinking, in enigmatic, even cryptic approach, while any exact messages will be cast for just supporting roles. The national strives for advanced style and thinking and technical perfection, make their mark, in Polish posters, through photography, typography and printing quality.
           The thinking may be a little too strongly connected with pondering how to use the visual surface of the poster, how to find the wanted aesthetic, sometimes shocking, surprises. The actual message of the poster, verbal expression and the refinement of the copy as high up as possible, sometimes seem to remain in the shadows of all this search for visual effects.

7. How to define a Japanese poster? The Japanese poster is the magnificent outcome of a centuries-long cultural development, original, unconventional national thinking, and modern techniques. At its best, a Japanese poster is highly refined, personally thought of, brilliantly visualized and printed to perfection. A simply unique piece of art. Because of the differences in Japanese and Western writing, it is, however, not possible for me to see beyond that dazzling surface. One can only make guesses upon the posters´ verbal quality.

8. How to evaluate a Swiss-German poster? It is a poster that in the 1950´s and the 1960´s, and in the beginning of the 1970´s had very strong reflections upon the Finnish poster thinking – thanks to its visual power, its highly disciplined typographic approach and its universally modern style. These qualities were particularly visible in Swiss posters, and I believe that this helped further develop the graphic design in other countries within the Western stylistic code, towards the ideals of clarity and simplicity.
           My view, however, is that now this school might have been left a little behind at a time when the emphasis on verbal expression even in posters got very much stronger in the US and Britain, the leaders in advertising and communications.

9. So, next, how to define a British-American-Swedish poster? At its best, it´s a concoction of highly developed advertising, influencing, efficiency, capability of talking to people understandably, timely humanity and superb copy. Simple, clear, uncomplicated, human, appealing, efficient. The main emphasis is on the message, how to express it as exactly as possible, what to include and how to refine the combination of the visualization and the copy up to perfection.
           The thinking and the making have moved from the search for visual effects up to careful consideration of the message, and how to make it as impressive as possible. This, in turn, leads to trying to make the visualization as easily understandable as possible. No space for interpretations, no dizziness – and certainly not lack of meaningful content. The copy always intelligent, refined, easily readable. The combination of the visualization and the copy together form a clear, understandable piece of thinking, a message that is meant to be conveyed to the recipient effectively and impressively.

10. Are these schools different on geographic grounds only? Yes and no. All such efforts, connected with the style and contents of posters, are being run parallel in any countries. Even inside the sphere of work and personal professional development of an individual designer. A practical example would be a young graphic designer who starts his/her career with posters in a Polish mode, through drawing.
           A little later, his/her thinking may advance in the direction of the Swiss style, to become more disciplined. The next phase may well be based on Japanese visual thinking. And then, finally, he/she moves further into advanced Western communications, encouraged e.g. by British advertising and/or through his/her own professional development.

11. All in all, it seems that I might value most the British-American school, doesn´t it? Keeping in mind the key function of any poster – that it should be able to act as a medium of human communication – and judging the various schools with a critical eye, analytically, without prejudice, then there just isn´t any other option.
           Having said that, each and every school has its own value and its right for existence. The varying views are strongly connected with the cultural ground of each individual country  and reflect its values. Here in Finland, the varying viewpoints are very happily mixed – just indicating the unstructured state of our national poster philosophy.

12. How do the differences of thinking affect discussions on posters? Each and every school has its own truths and each school uses its own language. Therefore, the varying schools sometimes face difficulties in understanding each others´ thoughts and each others´ efforts. So also discussions between schools can sometimes prove difficult.

13. How to define the Finnish poster school? Or does such a thing even exist? In my opinion, there is no such thing as typically Finnish national poster philosophy, philosophy with a specific tone. There´s just the Finnish history of posters, with its grades of development. These, generally speaking, only tell us what kind of reflections the various schools have cast on the Finnish posters over the years. It may be worth mentioning that the chronological order has been such that at first there was the Polish school, then the Swiss school, and then the British school – school that keeps on coming right now.
           This doen´t mean, however, that we would be lacking sympathy towards all the other schools, too. At the same time, a development emphasizing clearly commercial values in communications, keeps growing fast. This is probably the right direction to go to, if we think of posters as pure means of advertising. Should we want anything else from posters, then there´s a need for adapting a wider perspective.

14. Are there any other particular features about Finnish poster philosophy? Among poster designers, teachers, as well as active writers commentating posters,  the views seem quite mixed. Far too little discussion, far too little analytical categorization, far too little discipline. There is no such thing as common philosophical ground – just quite an amount of crossing subjective views and competing philosophies. No researches, no books, no writings that would help organize the overall picture on posters, that would create concepts and that would be able to locate the varying opinions, widely enough, into their respective contexts.

15. The Finnish poster school: what does it actually mean? The dignified publisher and editor of the Graphis magazine, Mr Walter Herdeg, once spoke about such a thing, the Finnish poster school, when using this concept in his speech at the Warsaw 1972 Poster Biennial.
           How this concept came about? That such a concept was ever born, was linked with an observation I made when studying the rules of the Warsaw Poster Biennial. Namely: the thing that I spotted was that there were no limitations as to the size of posters or the number of posters in any poster category. What´s more, no limitations either on the size of the planning team. Based on this information, I asked my then-employer, SEK Advertising Agency, a permission to have the necessary poster originals produced at the agency´s expense. Permission granted.
           What we then did was that we planned exceptionally large black-and-white posters, on socially relevant themes, based on actophotos, with copy bits in English.  As a result, we sent some 25-30 posters to Warsaw and managed to reach absolute visual dominance of the exhibition. This was a major surprise. Walter Herdeg then commented these posters in his speech by using the definition ”The Finnish School”. This is how the concept was born.

16. What kind of contradictory ideas are there on posters in Finland? The first thing, of course, are the differing views between schools on what a good poster actually is. Secondly, the arguments around the size and format and how these affect the concept of a poster: e.g. is the long streamer on the side of a bus a poster? Is a poster just a printed matter of a certain size and a certain format?
           Thirdly, it also might be worth mentioning the various poster concepts based on different technical solutions: is the mega-sized painted outdoor advertisement, above a cinema entrance, a poster? Is a roller with changing pictures a poster? Or an outdoor advertisement, on a luminous screen? Is a hanging mobile a poster?
           Fourth point: the impact of content and presentation. A poster-sized printed matter, with lots of small print, meant for homes and indoors, is that a poster? Is a piece of a serigraphic print, meant, principally, for artistic circles, a poster?
           Fifth point: existing contradictory opinions on how to categorize posters within the whole of visual culture. Are posters part of visual art, arts & crafts, graphic design, advertising or what are they?

17. How to cope with contradictory ideas? Personally, I´d like to widen the poster concept as wide and large as possible, without any technical restrictions, regarding contents and/or form.
           I´d like to see posters, widely speaking, as media of communications, an inseparable part of advertising and graphic design. The planning of advertising and graphic design should in turn, in any civilized country, be regarded a significant and well-respected part of form-giving, design. This should be the case in Finland, too. Or is Finland or is it not a civilized country? It well might be that our circles of form-giving people have not fully made it clear to themselves what graphic design actually is. And what categories of design are being included in this concept in e.g. countries such as Italy, USA, Switzerland, Britain, Japan and Sweden.
           A poster can also be a part of visual art, within any form of participating art, photorealism, neorealism, surrealism or within any other form of expression whatsoever, presuming, of course, that the visual quality of the poster is high enough to meet with the requirements of visual art.
           The rather harsh attitude towards posters by some form-givers and designers, plus by some critics within both of these two fields, has also resulted in the fact that the posters have not reached their well-deserved status as part of Finnish design and visual art.
           I´m willing to believe, however, that this attitude is only temporary. The next few decades are likely to fully change all this, as the concepts of visual art and design will be seen in a wider perspective.

18. What is the single most difficult thing about planning posters? The selling of a brave and uniquely original idea for a poster to a client. This is when the best posters usually get killed in Finland.

19. But why is that? The typical Finnish client, commissioning such items as posters, is almost always a conservative. Full with prejudice, he/she doesn´t simply dare take any risks. Or does not want to.  Therefore, he/she, in most cases, just wants to reap off everything that is brave or new or exceptional. He/she obviously believes that no matter how many spicy ingredients will be left out: even so the soup will remain good enough.

20. What are the consequences? The more far away one gets from bravery, the closer one gets to mediocricity. Instead of cooking an exceptionally impressive soup, a complete opposite will be served, a soup that can hardly be regarded even edible. Not the public, not the designers, not even the client himself / herself would like a second portion.
           The low interest rate is not regarded a risk. But bravery, the high interest rates, are. A paradox, eh? And precisely therefore, as a result from the lack of brave, self-confident clients, the progress towards higher sharpness, towards stronger appeal ratios, keep going so very slowly in Finland.

21. The next most difficult thing about planning posters? Turning the message into a drama that truly appeals people.

22. Isn´t it so that the contents of the poster, and even the copy for it, usually come as ready given factors from the client. And the planner then only does the necessary visualization? No, hopefully not ever! This is one of the most damaging misconceptions about poster design. The idea that a poster designer would, even at his/her best, be just an illustrator, maybe capable of, in the best case, turning even the dullest idea into a visually enchanting solution, usually just isn´t possible. Whenever this is the standing point for an order, there´s no understanding of the importance of verbal, textual conception. Even so, this might be as important, maybe even more important than any other planning element. Most of the world´s best posters have resulted from the teaming up between a writer and a graphic designer. And this will be the case in future years, too.

23. What would be the easiest way to point out the importance between the copy and the picture? Let´s think about the drawings by Kari in Helsingin Sanomat. Their unquestionable wit isn´t based on the illustration only, the texts are an inseparable part of the total impression. The texts, together with the illustrations, form the completed combination, the punchline and the message, to characterize Kari´s sharpness, his power and his appeal.

24. Why is it so seldom that we find such sharpness in Finnish posters? It all boils down to professionalism – or rather: to the lack of it. Of course, things like having very little discussion around about these things, false placing of values, lack of adequate research and critique, plus our educational standards, all of these give their additions to the same concoction.

25. A good poster: what is it like? A good poster needs to fulfill its task and role in the communications process. Therefore, a poster should be positively surprising, striking, dramatic, humorous, hearty, human, funny, startling, wonderful, scaring. In a word: its power to appeal should be unquestionable!
           A poster should be a declaration created on top of the key message, something that would present itself in a highly developed form, something that could be described by such content definitions as above.
           If a poster can meet the requirements above, it also has to be bold, beautiful and free of prejudice. The point is that I do not want to say that a poster should fit into a certain mould, to highlight any certain style, any thinking, any certain planning mode. All of these may just be tools for making a good poster.

26. A bad poster: what is it like? Mild, fragile, blurred, without appeal. A bad poster is a poster which is lacking all understanding on the true function of a poster. This is why all the irrelevant features may become dominant, the message may get blurred and badly sidelined.

27. A good poster designer: how is he/she like? He/she is likely to be someone with a good sense of humour, a virtuous seller, great aesthetic, profound thinker, interpreter of timely phenomenons, someone capable of making people both laugh and cry. In other words, he/she would be someone in whom all those features needed for becoming a good planner have materialized into true professionalism. And precisely this can be seen in his/her posters in the form of upgraded thinking, deeper understanding, presence of humour, aesthetic values, in joy and sometimes even in pain, in the beauty of thought and form that is capable to appeal people.

28. The Finnish poster: how can it be further developed? By working harder! By thinking much more! By developing the key idea much further than people would do normally. The idea, for a playwright, is nothing but a raw thought for a possible play. The idea has to be written into a beautifully finished manuscript, to dramatize the story well, to create wonderful settings, to direct the play professionally – and, finally, get it all performed in an exquisite fashion. The same thing with a poster. To be able to become a good poster designer, it isn´t enough to be a good set decorator. One needs to be an excellent director.

Erkki Ruuhinen 1978

Tapani Aartomaa asked me to write this article on posters, to be included in a book on posters, by his wife Ulla Aartomaa, a book for which, according to Tapani, she had been granted financial support. As to this article, I have never seen it published in any poster book whatsoever, but some echoes were heard in some of Tapani Aartomaa´s public speeches later on.