Ideas / Offsites & incentives / Helsinki

Design Helsinki in a day

Studio visits with working designers and architects, ending with dinner in a designer's workshop. Small, personal, and impossible to book online.

Illustration for Design Helsinki in a day

How it runs

  1. MorningFirst studio visit: a working designer, not a showroom.
  2. LunchIn a building worth seeing.
  3. AfternoonAn architecture walk and a second studio.
  4. EveningDinner in a designer's workshop.

What to know

  • Studios are working spaces, so groups stay small and visits stay short.
  • Every programme is built around your team's interests.
  • It pairs well with a strategy day: the visits feed the conversation.

Good for

Product, brand and design teams. Clients who've done the usual Helsinki tour.

Not for

Large groups, or teams who want a sightseeing tour.

Questions planners ask

Which studios do you visit?

It depends on the date and your team. Studios open their doors as a favour, so the list is confirmed close to the day.

Can it be combined with a meeting?

Yes. Many teams hold a morning session and use the visits as the afternoon.

Is it suitable for non-designers?

Yes. It's about how people make things, not design jargon.

Thinking of doing this?

Borrow the idea, it's yours. If you'd like a hand, or just a second opinion on whether it suits your group, write to me. I produce ideas like this one at Sorry, No Polar Bears, a Helsinki studio I co-run.

Email me