Designgalleriet aims for exhibitions that touch and inspire the visitor. Black foam tubes make the exhibition space very flexible. Photo: Jonas Lindström

Designgalleriet, inspired by international showrooms such as Vessel in London and Moss in New York, opened in the middle of August as Stockholm’s first gallery solely dedicated to design. Trend analyst Stefan Nilsson, one of the initiators of the gallery, has high ambitions for the new arena.

“We’re trying to create something new in Sweden, something that complements the already existing design scene,” he says. “We want to exhibit young designers as well as the established and commercial design companies.

“Stockholm is a vibrant design city and has a few places for design exhibitions. Of course, Designgalleriet aims to be the most significant one, but places like Gallery Pascale and Crystal Palace are also important.”

Full fall program

Designgalleriet’s interior was created by Form Us With Love, a Stockholm-based industrial design studio. They have hung black foam tubes on hooks from the perforated ceiling to act as room dividers. Designer Petrus Palmér explains the concept: “Our main idea was to make a very flexible gallery, where the space could be adjusted to the current exhibition, as Designgalleriet intends to show all types of design.”

The gallery will feature two-week exhibitions showcasing everything from fashion, industrial design and interiors, to handicraft and graphics. The fall line-up includes exhibitions by Swedish designers such as Jantze Brogård Asshoff, Monica Förster, Lisa Bengtsson, Ulrika Mårtensson, Margot Barolo, as well as an international show on Japanese design in December.

Designgalleriet exhibits a wide range of designs in order to broaden the concept. Both Lisa Bengtsson's pattern designs and the 2008 Grand Award of Design winner Tobii computer screen make the grade. Photos: Lisa Björner and www.designgalleriet.com 

The Grand Award of Design

September 18, 2008, marked the opening of an exhibition of the Grand Award of Design (Stora Designpriset), an annual prize given out by the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries (Teknikföretagen), the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design (Svensk Form) and the Swedish Industrial Design Association (SVID). The exhibition will run until September 27.

The Grand Award of Design celebrates companies that have used design to increase their competitiveness and commercial success.

Stockholm-based Tobii Technology received the award in spring 2008 for designing a computer screen that scrolls by tracking users’ eye movements. Since it allows people to interact with the computer using “eye control,” it is often used as a communicative device for people with disabilities.

The other products nominated for the award have applications in a number of fields and include protective work gloves by Ejendals, a ski helmet by POC and an intravenous catheter by BD (Becton Dickinson).

Good design means business

According to Dan Nyman of the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries, design has major potential as a tool for increased competitiveness in Sweden. “The large companies, especially those within consumer goods, use design as a natural part of their production and business processes,” he says. “But small and medium-sized enterprises haven’t generally understood the potential of design — and how you go about incorporating it into the business process.”

Nyman is hoping that the award will have an impact on Swedish industry in at least three ways: highlighting concrete success stories, emphasizing the profitability and competitive advantages of design, and showing how a business can introduce design processes — which can sometimes be a challenge.

The surveyor tool Trimble S6 Totalstation (left) and the intravenous catheter Venflon pro safety from BD were both Grand Award of Design finalists in 2008. Photos: www.designgalleriet.com

“Implementing design processes brings a few problems,” Nyman says. “It’s hard for a company to calculate if it will break even on a design investment. Competition and cultural differences between engineers and designers can also be, in some cases, debilitating.”

By focusing on the interface between design and business, the Grand Award of Design is different from other awards. “In order to receive the award, you must be able to show commercial success through design,” Nyman says. “Creating a good design in terms of ergonomics, functionality and aesthetics is not enough. Design must generate profit in a noticeable way.”

A culture of design

While Designgalleriet aims to bring design closer to the public and increase awareness of the role of design in everyday life, the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design works to promote design as an important aspect of Swedish culture. ´

The Swedish Society of Crafts and Design has recently begun cooperating more closely with the Swedish Museum of Architecture (Arkitekturmuseet). Ewa Kumlin, managing director of the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, says they are expecting a decision from the Swedish government in the near future regarding an expanded mandate for the Museum of Architecture to also assume responsibility for design.

“We think the public needs this larger arena for architecture, form and design,” Kumlin says. “There is certainly an audience for it.”