Hi there! My name is Helmi and I’m a Helsinki-based designer and creative driven by a strong sense of purpose.
I’ve recently resonated with the word “multipotentialite”; a term you’ll find mainly on tackily illustrated inspirational quotes and the occasional book cover in the self-help category on Goodreads.
It’s used to describe humans who – instead of being magnetically pulled towards “one true calling” – have interests and passions that propel stubbornly outward, in myriad directions. So in essence, probably most humans.
For me, the natural way to deal about this multidirectional pull has been to find the junction points where my passions meet. A strong foothold in the field of arts but an inherent yearning for knowledge in both natural and social sciences ended pushing me towards my studies in design at Aalto University. I did my Bachelor’s in Design at Aalto ARTS and Stanford University in California, and am completing my Master studies in Creative Sustainability. I’ve worked in various creative studios in Helsinki and in the infamous nordic tech-entrepreneurship bubble, namely as the Head of Design at Slush last year. I’m also in the core team for the Feminist Futures Helsinki -hackathon, which I’m especially excited for as a hacker veteran.
In my creative practice, I’m most interested by the intersections between environmental and social progress, ethical technology, as well as human centered design, storytelling and leadership methods. I’m most in my element when taking part in creative co-design projects (like my experience with SGT Studio in Bhutan), but also enjoy design in a wide variety of flavours; like sustainable, experience, service, content, and graphic design. I’m currently in the process of figuring out a topic for my master’s thesis (from what feels like an endless pool of interesting issues) and and am also sitting in the advisory board for Helsinki Design Week.
I’m an avid fan of Sir David Attenborough, data justice, science fiction, cinematography, and oxford commas. I believe in the power of telling stories, and in using purposeful design to address things that need fixing, like environmental injustice and social inequality.
When I’m not focused on my core design practice, you’ll find me curled up next to my bookshelf, experimenting with augmented reality design software, or on a gig as a photographer or musician.
Want to connect?
Reach me on my LinkedIn or university email 🙂
Cheers,
Helmi
Crisis Interrogatives 