Experience: Change course for peace and understanding
Lecturer Tarja Nieminen鈥檚 course Koe: Muutos (Experience: Change) delved into questions related to design activism, peace processes and creating mutual respect in spring term 2021. Creative designers have traditionally been responsible for hands-on execution of projects when they could be more involved in problem-solving, communicating complex issues and networking.
The course is part of the bachelor鈥檚 degree studies of Visual Communication Design in the Department of Media. The founder of the marketing agency M氓ndag, Arto Sivonen, was the visiting tutor of the course.
The course resulted in altogether six interesting new concepts.
CO-ACT
Jassir Kuronen, Nik Nummi, Viktor Teodosin
CO-ACT is a platform that gathers together different actors within the non-profit sector. The webplatform is a place to explore and find the specific forms of activism that suits you the best. CO-ACT makes it easy to engage in activism, is an efficient communications forum as well as a material bank for hands-on activism materials such as posters, leaflets etc.
KLONG!
Eki Masalin, Laura Soini, Norma Lauritsalo
KLONG! invites you to calm down, put aside your phone and other devices and focus your thoughts to the loved ones in your life. KLONG! is basically stationary but not made of paper but instead of eco-friendly cellulose fiber. You can 鈥漰ress鈥 your message in the cellulose plaque and send it to someone you cherish. The name KLONG! is derived from the sound of mail dropping from your apartment鈥檚 mailbox.
Selko collective
Milena Rinne, Juulia Jokinen
Selko collective brings together scientists and designers. Together they can work to make science communication more understandable and create a new kind of visual world for the sciences. The goal is to bring people together and make discussions less polarized.
Allies
Viivi Kuisma, Linnea Lindgren, Hanna-Katri Eskelinen
An ally is someone who uses their priviledge for the benefit of others, the ones that are in a less-priviledged standing. The Allies zine is a series of small leaflets that deal with issues of equality and diversity. Each zine is produced by a group of people in a workshop setting. The financing and spreading of the zines is the responsibility of the allies.
Happy Body Stickers
Minttu Leinonen, Jasmin Huttunen, Lauri Kortelainen
This empowering body positivity campaign defies social beauty norms. Any one can produce Happy body -stickers in the campaign website and then distribute them: virtually in social media but also physically out on the town, in fitting rooms and candy stores etc. Through partnerships it鈥檚 possible to arrange sticker exhibitions.
Mimesis collective
The Mimesis collective wants to redefine memes as a positive force and bring them to life in a completely new setting. In this way memes can be seen as a means of facilitating a new kind of public conversation culture. Benevolent memes can live in social media but also on the streets as posters.
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Grant-funded summer courses for ENG students available 鈥 Apply now!
Would you like a fresh breeze in your studies and the chance to study abroad, but feel that an exchange period is too long or otherwise not a good fit? Join a grant-supported short course in Italy, France, or China in the summer or early autumn of 2026!