MOSAIC, 2022–2026
The MOSAIC project – Mastering job-Oriented Skills in Arts & crafts thanks to Inclusive Centres of vocational excellence – focuses on arts & crafts sector to overcome the challenges connected to digitalisation, environment and socio-economic evolution.
The specific objectives of the MOSAIC project are:
To increase and improve collaboration between companies and VET centres, to reach a state of mutual fertilisation.
To improve VET provision by delivering new training modules.
To foster Internationalisation and transnational strategies in response to the evolutions of VET and society.
To provide forward-looking VET through the use of digital methodologies and tools.
To improve VET provision by delivering new training modules.
To foster Internationalisation and transnational strategies in response to the evolutions of VET and society.
To provide forward-looking VET through the use of digital methodologies and tools.
The project is led by SEPR in France with 11 partners. I have been a research scientist at the Institute of Design and Fine Arts, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Finland during 2022–2023.
Design Venture Programme, 2018–2022
The Design Venture Programme brought together SMEs from different sectors with their business and product development needs, the skills of designers and funding representatives.
The Programme included group sparring for SMEs, info sessions and promotion events to help these encounters and to help SMEs to understand how design can benefit business development and what kind of support is available for them.
We raised the strategic position of design as a brand and attraction factor. We aimed for the creation, growth and internationalisation of successful companies.
The Programme included group sparring for SMEs, info sessions and promotion events to help these encounters and to help SMEs to understand how design can benefit business development and what kind of support is available for them.
We raised the strategic position of design as a brand and attraction factor. We aimed for the creation, growth and internationalisation of successful companies.
Role: Project manager and RDI Specialist at the Institute of Design and Fine Arts, LAB University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Design Venture Programme website (in Finnish)
ACM TVX’17 Workshop on Interactive Digital Storytelling in Broadcasting – IDB 2017
Traditional broadcasters are losing their younger audiences. New ways of user interaction that are catering to the attention of a distracted audience need to be identified. One of the challenging aspects is the growing user requirements for real-time mobile information and stories anytime and anywhere. This has exerted significant pressure on the importance of new forms of storytelling and information delivery on every target audiences.
The ACM TVX’17 IDB workshop in Hilversum, The Netherlands, 14 June 2017, discussed new ways of information generation and delivery in the traditional broadcasting sense and in the public use.
I took part in the organizing team as the Technical Program Chair, and also designed the workshop logo.
VisualMedia, 2016–2017
VisualMedia integrated state of the art in social media engines, innovative 3D graphics capabilities, and novel interaction systems into one single solution in order to bring to the market a completely new way to produce interactive TV programs.
VisualMedia was a response to an express need from creative industries in the broadcast media sector for new, innovative ways to engage and involve their audiences. Broadcasters and other content developers recognised the demand for improved user engagement. The increasing popularity of social media channels, when combined with 3D and augmented reality technologies, offers an innovative approach to meeting this demand.
VisualMedia provided broadcasters with the capability to manage complex and diverse data streaming in through the wide range of social media channels, and to translate this data into engaging interactive content for a better audience experience.
VisualMedia was a response to an express need from creative industries in the broadcast media sector for new, innovative ways to engage and involve their audiences. Broadcasters and other content developers recognised the demand for improved user engagement. The increasing popularity of social media channels, when combined with 3D and augmented reality technologies, offers an innovative approach to meeting this demand.
VisualMedia provided broadcasters with the capability to manage complex and diverse data streaming in through the wide range of social media channels, and to translate this data into engaging interactive content for a better audience experience.
At the NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology, I was responsible for planning and conducting the project’s work package User Consultations and Requirements Definition. We created the user consultation process, and studied the needs of the six broadcasting partners which were Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR, Germany), BlueSky TV (Greece), Hallingdølen (Norway), Radio Televisión Española (RTVE, Spain), Setanta Sports (Ireland), Televiziunea Română (TVR, Romania). Also, I was planning and working with VisualMedia system verification and validation.
The user consultation process was developed and the user requirements researched during the first five months of the project. User consultation continued till the end of the project.
It was a great opportunity to know all these broadcasters and their user needs, and to translate and transfer them to the technical partners.
The user consultation process was developed and the user requirements researched during the first five months of the project. User consultation continued till the end of the project.
It was a great opportunity to know all these broadcasters and their user needs, and to translate and transfer them to the technical partners.
The EU Horizon 2020 Innovation Action project VisualMedia – Immersive and Interactive Real Time 3D Social Media Graphics Environments for the Broadcast Industry was lead by Brainstorm Multimedia.
Institute for Northern Culture, 2009–2014
I was founding and setting up the Institute for Northern Culture in Lapland. It started its operation in the beginning of 2012. The Institute is a network consisting of three educational levels in art and design, and cultural actors. Cultural production and heritage are being developed by the network. The network develops vitality and well-being in Lapland through cooperation between education, research, and artistic activity.
This was an exceptional possibility to get to know so many educational institutes in the Arctic, especially in Finland, Norway, Scotland, and Sweden, and outside the Arctic, e.g. in France. I had the opportunity to get staff and students in these countries to study and work together.
During the founding period of the institute, I was advancing three large study programmes:
Les Feux Arctiques, film and web documentary, and much more,
Applied Visual Arts Master Programme, and
Applied Sound Master Programme.
I was also developing international relations of the Institute and organised its first international conference.
Les Feux Arctiques, film and web documentary, and much more,
Applied Visual Arts Master Programme, and
Applied Sound Master Programme.
I was also developing international relations of the Institute and organised its first international conference.
The core of the Institute was composed of the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Lapland and the Culture educations at the Lapland University of Applied Sciences and at the Vocational College Lappia. The network partners of the Institute were the Lapland Institute for Tourism Research and Education, the Lapland Centre of Expertise for the Experience Industry, the Sámi Cultural Centre, the culture institutes in the Barents region, libraries, archives and museums on northern cultural heritage as well as other cultural actors and service users in Lapland.
Role: Project Manager (2009–2012) and Coordinator (2012–2014)
Total budget: 1.27 M€
Employer: University of Lapland & Kemi-Tornionlaakso Municipality Education Consortium Lappia, Finland
Total budget: 1.27 M€
Employer: University of Lapland & Kemi-Tornionlaakso Municipality Education Consortium Lappia, Finland
Balance Board was a prototype of new types of outdoor fitness equipment for adults. Balance Broad was one result of the Dynamic Garden project of Lappset Group 2007–2009.
Dynamic Garden, 2007–2009
Dynamic Garden created an outdoor exercise park to encourage and motivate to exercise, and exercise enthusiasts to play, exercise, communicate and have fun. This improves participants’ healthy well-being.
My role was to lead user-centred design (UCD) in the project. The main design goals were to motivate the users to exercise, and generate and keep up flow during the exercise. I created design guidelines and validated the final products.
Lappset Group (Finland) administered this Eureka project which collaborated internationally with AIJU and Brainstorm Multimedia (both in Spain), Sport Kreativ Werkstatt (Germany), and Carousel, Three Images, and University of Lapland (in Finland).
My role was to lead user-centred design (UCD) in the project. The main design goals were to motivate the users to exercise, and generate and keep up flow during the exercise. I created design guidelines and validated the final products.
Lappset Group (Finland) administered this Eureka project which collaborated internationally with AIJU and Brainstorm Multimedia (both in Spain), Sport Kreativ Werkstatt (Germany), and Carousel, Three Images, and University of Lapland (in Finland).
Role: research scientist, leader of user-centred design (UCD) including user requirements and validation, user experience and user motivation designer, user-interface & interaction designer.
Intuitive Environments Research Group, 2000–2003
Leader of a research group called Intuitive Environments of 11 people. We researched and designed new concepts to use computers such as interactive bodily and spatial environments for communication, sports and games; ubiquitous and wearable computing, augmented & mixed reality, and 3D user interfaces.
We designed new methods of computer controls replacing traditional keyboard and mice. We created intuitive user interfaces that blend in with the surroundings of the user, and are the natural way in which people move and act.
We designed new methods of computer controls replacing traditional keyboard and mice. We created intuitive user interfaces that blend in with the surroundings of the user, and are the natural way in which people move and act.
Role: Intuitive Environments Research Group Leader at VTT Information Technology, Senior Research Scientist
Nautilus is a mixed reality underwater adventure. A group of players steer a diving bell only by moving together in the room. The players have no wearables.
Virtual Space, 1999–2001
Design and study of bodily and spatial user interfaces and their usability.
My original concept was proofed with new social interactive group games, a 3D and spatial version of the traditional Pong game, and an underwater group adventure game called Nautilus.
This was an exciting research and development work to create new ways to use gestures and body movements to steer theme park attractions. The games detected group dynamics in a room, and the players were surrounded with real-time interactive graphics, light effects, and surround sounds.
My original concept was proofed with new social interactive group games, a 3D and spatial version of the traditional Pong game, and an underwater group adventure game called Nautilus.
This was an exciting research and development work to create new ways to use gestures and body movements to steer theme park attractions. The games detected group dynamics in a room, and the players were surrounded with real-time interactive graphics, light effects, and surround sounds.
Co-production with Cube, Nokia Research Center, Tampereen Särkänniemi theme park, Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, and University of Lapland, and VTT Information Technology.
Role: project manager, user-interface & interaction designer, senior research scientist at VTT Information Technology
Budget: 680,000€
Budget: 680,000€
Games Playing, 1996–1999
Doctor of Arts (Art and Design) study on visual design of computer games designed for the use of children below school-age (7 years of age in Finland) and used by personnel involved in the rehabilitation of multiply disabled children.
I studied computer games as applied arts products that contain visual communication from the viewpoint of game design and representing the views of both the designers of computer games and their users.
I studied computer games as applied arts products that contain visual communication from the viewpoint of game design and representing the views of both the designers of computer games and their users.
Role: project manager, visual designer, research scientist at University of Art and Design, Department of Graphic Design (currently Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture)
Images: The Tortoise and Hare (above) and the Duck City (below) were two examples of computer games and their design in my thesis Games Playing.