Invitation to update your profile

There's been a lot of talk around how you shouldn't close a shop (in finnish). -I just received a mail, which gave a perfect example How you shouldn't invite a member to update one's profile.

First I was happy to receive a mail saying there's something new at Club Nokia And I was ready to update my profile, but the way it put me to wait for a confirmation mail _before_ the update, was really awkward.
While editing that pic on right and writing this post, I haven't received the mail, so I think the next thing I'll do for my account is to delete it.

Stora Enso shuts down a city

While reading Lapin Kansa a bit forward, my ticket started to seem a small fish.

Mobile phone charger manufacturer Salcomp decided to shut down it's factory in Kemijärvi in the autumn of 2003. This resulted in a fairly great depression of the whole town. People got sick, several killed themselves and the overall financial situation for the city and it's habitants was compareable to afterwar time.
Last month Yle reported how things in Kemijärvi start to look positive again after four years.
And this week Stora Enso informs that they will shut down their profitable pulp mill in Kemijärvi - second and last major employer from the town. Stora Enso doesn't want to sell the mill - only shut down, which will surely bounce the unemployment procentage to 45%.
Ok, so what you ask.. There's families where the salary is coming from the single company. Families have bought or built houses by loans, and now they have to move, apartment is worth nothing and the bank still want's their money. And there really isn't that many tax payers anymore in there.
So in the end, I'm happy just to be able to pay my parking ticket. I just wish it went for better purpose.

More from: Lapin Kansa, Helsingin Sanomat and Kaleva

"Committed to sustainability

Sustainability has been identified as one of the key success factors in the Group's business strategy: Stora Enso aims at superior performance and image in the area of sustainability. To succeed in this, we need to ensure that we build accountability into the way we actually work, thus creating long-term value on an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable basis. We will do this by being transparent, and open to dialogue with our stakeholders."
Stora Enso

Parking ticket again - Rovaniemen parkkipirkot

I just hate being ticketed because of parking. Especially in a small town like Rovaniemi. -I also hate speed-traps, that instinctively make me step on my brakes 13 times while I'm driving between Oulu and Rovaniemi (and this time it seemed to be slippery too).
Today I received a ticket. -I took my bike to for service and placed my car on front of the shop making sure everybody have enough space. -Everybody else had, but the warden. There's no place for explanations - those women are rude here in Rovaniemi.

The shop owner felt bad. -He said it happens a lot.
I continued to Kauppayhtiö to have a comfort-baquette and started to read a newspaper Lapin Kansa (21./22.10.07).
Another bicycle-shop owner was complaining about the same topic. -He actually ended up changing his whole profession 'due' the wardens. -Please read more from the pic, where the text is unfortunately only in finnish.

Nordea surprised by packaging

Posted from N73 through Flickr

Today I received a thick envelope, just like the ones that grant you access to fortune and fame. -Only this time it was from my bank.
Some might remember my post about Nordea's good UI on ordering personalized card. This was the delivery, but the best was yet to come. -The double-slider package was a blast, after all those dull, thin letters ;D

Mikael's portfolio -piece of art

My friend Mikael Heikkilä updated his portfolio, which is really worth to see!
Includes also Grandma's Revenge. A table inspired by rug weaving.

How to lie with Design research

On a presentation I saw on wednesday, there was a slide where it was written, "Don't buy user research, if you are not willing to use the information on the product development"..

I found a clip of Dan Shaffers presentation How To Lie With Design Research on Mobile Observations. It had a kind of similar message. The key point was maybe 'Most companies are looking to have their ideas validated anyway. So why waste your budget on field research. -Just do it in the Google.'

I can't help wondering, does this tell more about clients or designers.

<5mins

Fiskars - keeping up the brand?

When a company starts to gain size, daughter companies and additional product categories, the problems in keeping the product portflio in tact start to form. This and pirate-copies about the products create a challenge for a consumer.

I found these. -Please somebody tell me that the restaurant made a quickfix and these are not in the market!

Mie -clothes from Lapland

This weekend the theme was all about our user experience team visiting the north. We went all the way up to Karigasniemi. Somehow we ended up talking about could you live up here as an designer.. -And the visit to Tivoli in Rovaniemi added a flavour to this conversation:
Mie is a clothes-line based on the very same idea. I have to say that I appreciate the values they work by. And the print 'Kemijärvi Night Train"-is one of my favorites.
Read their story from their site.