Well, we are a bit late reporting this… but way back in November 2018 we once again took part in the PUSHKA International Design Forum, in competition with all our friends in Russia (and more). Our students entered into a Transportation Design contest, to once again propose innovative cargo solutions. This year our students triumphed and won ALL 3 top places. 1st 2nd and 3rd prizes were ours!
We had our own prize-giving event back in Lahti, as it was difficult for all of our entries to visit Moscow. Our students entered as groups, and this in our opinion- gave them maximum ability to innovate. The croups were encouraged to throw ideas back and forth, and then aim for something radical as a result. The prize winners were: 1st place: Ruusu-Maria Laihonen, Anorico Adam Joaquin – 3D Express 2nd place: Esa Mustonen, Julius Ranta, Inka Tiikkainen – Self-driving cargo transportation unit. 3rd place: Nicklas Sundvall, Matias Pekkonen – AFV-68 (Artificial Farming Vehicle 2068)
1st place: Ruusu-Maria Laihonen, Anorico Adam Joaquin – 3D Express
2nd place: Esa Mustonen, Julius Ranta, Inka Tiikkainen
3D Express – 1st Place
Self-driving cargo transportation unit – 2nd Place
AFV-68 (Artificial Farming Vehicle 2068) – 3rd Place
2017 was an interesting year for us at STANCE. Many of our students are out there in the wide world, making their way in further design studies and we have even reached the point where some are graduating at a Masters level. In January our lecturer caught up with our student at the RCA in London, and we were very pleased to see two more of our graduates succeed him on the course.
Thanks to some issues with a passport- our travelling to see friends in Russia was somewhat limited. Despite this- our lecturer Lee Walton managed to gain an award. Our students participated in a short design competition, for the PUSHKA Design Forum in Moscow. Their brief was to design an automated delivery vehicle for the TRAFT brand.
3rd year student Iiro Laine placed 2nd overall in the PUSHKA Design Forum design competition, and was awarded a certificate and prize by the Traft company. Iiro’s innovative but simple concept, proposed re-using existing transportation trailers with modern self-driving tractor units.
Highlights of 2017 (our annual graduation show STANCE18 will be happening 25th of May in Lahti, watch this space!)
Kalle Keituri, our alumni of 2015 graduated from RCA London, then began his professional career as a designer at Rolls-Royce Motor cars in the UK.
Henri Hokkanen our alumni of 2016, began his professional career as a Designer at Valtra Inc, Jyväskylä.
Antti Vahtola, our alumni of 2017 began his Masters studies at Umea Institute and this year placed 2nd in the BRP Student Design competition, titled Urban Arctic Mobility.
Hilja-Maria Kaitila, and Olli Seppällä both began their Masters at the RCA.
Mikael Serjala and Mika Karjalainen began Masters studies at SPD in Milan.
Lada 2050 Future Vision: The story began in 2016 when our friends in Moscow suggested an ambitious project idea. We cautiously agreed to attempt a project to collaborate with 2 other schools, and one very large car company. The project was for Lada Moscow, and eventually things were set in motion when 12 of our students travelled to Moscow to take part in a 1 week workshop. Our generous hosts at Moscow Polytechnic looked after us handsomely, and that week was the beginning of a 3 month project coordinated between Moscow Polytechnic, Steiglitz Academy of St. Petersburg, and Lahti Institute of Design. Lada Moscow chief designer Raphael Linari mentored the students on this project, with close guidance and feedback every step of the way. We are all extremely grateful to his input. 36 students took part and worked as 6 teams of 6. Each team had 2 members from each school, to ensure cross collaboration. After the 1 week intensive workshops, development of vehicle concepts continued within each group- but with internal competition driving the projects. Students regularly pitched their projects to Raphael Linari, who was instrumental in his feedback, along with staff of all institutes guiding students. On our side, students were helped greatly by Tapani Jokinen with the strategic design and future scenario aspects of this project, and we thank him for that. 2050 is far in the future, and Lada as a business were interested in true blue-sky thinking. The competition was narrowed down to 9 designs (from 36) but eventually only one was chosen to be produced and developed fully. The project continued in 2017 in Moscow, with a specially selected team working to finish the final design. That team worked to create a scale model for the Moscow biennale Design exhibition, in April 2017. This video shows the final result of the project, and I have included a gallery of some of our activities in Moscow.
There is a lot more info on various aspects of this project, at Cardesign.ru. Follow the link!
