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Design for (Active) Life

VISI 142

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VISI

When it comes to INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, no brand embodies the Scandinavian aesthetic quite like THULE. A visit to the HQ and test centre in SWEDEN revealed this active lifestyle giant's DESIGN APPROACH and the latest range of products.

- STEVE SMITH

Design for (Active) Life

WITH ALL THE NATIONS VYING FOR GLOBAL SUPREMACY AT THE MOMENT, I'm a bit disappointed the Swedes have not thrown their hat in the ring. They'd definitely get my vote. Visit this Scandinavian country and you'll witness hordes of happy people (Sweden is consistently in the top five of the World Happiness Report) who are well off, well cared for and, oddly, not at all smug. I'd be smug as hell if I were Swedish.

imageThe reason for this good cheer? You may think it's because Swedes enjoy the benefits of a government whose excellent fiscal management makes proper use of all those highly taxed kronas. In part, that is true, but it's not the fundamental reason. Sweden's good fortune has actually been shaped by good design - and here's how.

image■SCANDI FOR THE WIN

Around the turn of the 19th century, two Swedes penned two influential essays. First up was noted philosopher and critic Ellen Key, whose 1899 manifesto "Beauty in the Home" argued for the transformation of the domestic environment as a means of social reform. This, in turn, inspired influential art historian Gregor Paulsson to write "Better Things for Everyday Life", adding weight to a growing movement that believed that when the aesthetic realm is attuned to contemporary realities, an environment will be a catalyst for social, cultural and economic improvement.

imagePeople listened, designers designed... And just look where Sweden is today.

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