Estonian Design

Estonian design as a melting pot of technology and tradition

In a rapidly globalising world, Estonian design is made unique and exceptional by the ability of Estonian designers to tie the knowledge and long-lost skills of our ancestors and a precious visual legacy with innovative technology and 21st-century solutions. This skill and ability to unite archaic patterns with modern playfulness of form in clever and high-tech products can be seen in the works of both the younger and older generations of designers.

Estonian design is also influenced by the rich histories of Estonia's one-time conquerors and by its location at the crossroads of Eastern, Western and Northern Europe. These two aspects have made Estonian design exciting, a rapidly boiling melting pot where the unique Nordic functionality and ascetic simplicity blends with the West's playfulness and solutions that are taken to design perfection. Estonian design is also strengthened by diversity and adaptability in various areas. A good overview of the broad spectrum within which Estonian designers work can be found from the Design Excellence Estonia network, which has a catalogue that displays a wide array of examples from handicraft-based textiles and fashion designs to industrial and product design to communication and service design.

21st century technologies and the patterns of our ancestors

A strong trend in Estonian design in general, but particularly in textile design, is incorporating traditional techniques and methods with contemporary high-tech solutions and language of form. For example, textile designer Mare Kelpman has become well-known even outside Estonia as a creator of contemporary and innovative textiles. In her creations, Kelpman combines 21st century technologies (laser cutting, 3D, luminous fabrics, etc.) with an abundance of embroidery patterns based on elements from folk art. For example, in creating the laser-cut fabrics of the collection "Estonian National Embroidery", the artist was inspired by the embroidered patters of her ancestors. Kelpman's creations include laser-cut window treatments and room dividers, 3D woven fabrics, curtains that glow in the dark, pillows and jewellery, as well as clothing and accessories made using a special aging technique.

Mare Kelpman's materials that glow in the dark

Kristina Viirpalu's clothing design

High-quality speakers Estelon

Third-generation seamstress Kristina Viirpalu combines old handicraft methods with uniquely quirky classical lines in her clothing design. Evening and wedding gowns hand-woven from fine wool using the Haapsalu scarf technique (a traditional Western Estonian technique for making lace) are unique pieces not found anywhere else in the world. A nominee for Estonia's most important fashion award Kuldnõel 2011, Kristina Viirpalu's creations also include stockings and socks in unique shades and decorated with printed designs.

World-class sound and design

Estonia boasts an influential and reliable tradition of producing high-quality speakers through the world-famous speaker company Audes. Its most recent accomplishment in the speaker world is Alfred & Partners' speaker series Estelon, which has earned a lively response both for its sound quality and its design. The unique shape of the speaker, which possesses world-class sound quality, was created by the team Ingmar and Martin Melioranski of the design agency Meliora. Designing and perfecting the elegant and eye-catching structure to house the speakers under the guidance of Alfred Vassilikov was a process that lasted over five years. They worked out an innovative enclosure material and logic of form – the body of the speaker was cast from a special marble-based composite material.

Bike rack Grazz designed by the firm Keha3

The speakers were also recognised with the prestigious International CES Innovations 2011 Design and Engineering Awards.

Furniture in the public space

Although cyclists are becoming a more common feature in Estonia's urban landscapes, there are still regrettably few bicycle racks to be found in the cities. The product design firm Keha3 just designed a vandalism- and theft-proof bike rack Grazz for use in public spaces. The unpretentiously simple yet fun bike rack is also resilient and practical – ultra-strong metal rods are coated with an elastic plastic coating that protects bikes from harm. The inspiration for this urban piece came straight from nature when designer Margus Triibmann pushed his bike into the underbrush during a springtime hike.

Maris Takk
Estonian Design Centre

More information:

Estonian Design Centre
Catalogue of Estonian Design Companies 2011