What I bring to the table

• User interface design for web sites and web applications that is based on UI patterns and actual, measurable user behavior.
• Front-end development with well-written HTML and CSS code that’s clean and reusable.
• User experience design that is founded on principles of design thinking, emphatetic listening and strategy building.

• Calm, strategic project leadership with experience in multiple industries and perspectives of the employee, the manager and the entrepreneur.
• Giddy curiosity for self-development at work, in health and in life in general.
• A team player that appreciates community and maintains a sunny disposition - even in the slushiest weather.

I currently work as a Digital Service Designer in e21, where I have a separate portfolio of clients outside of my freelance work. We specialize in digital business services for manufacturing and technical trade companies. Below you can see some of my freelance work. I have been way too busy in recent years to take any gigs outside of my day job so unfortunately the list is slowly building up spider webs and dust. I am however still quite actively still building, fixing and tinckering with physical product designs as a hobby so that list gets update more often.

Between 2013-2017 I had a brief stint in a more analogue work setting as a CEO of an inn. The Friendship Inn project was one of the broadest and most challenging projects of my career. It started with the renewal of their web presence and eventually expanded into a multi-year labor of love that included aspects of service design, change management and operational management.

One could say the project was a total business overhaul that stretched from daily chores (such as making breakfast or heating the sauna for guests) to rebalancing the budget, writing House Rules for residents and guests alike, and interfacing with local government and regulators. Not to mention designing and building actual rooms for guests. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. What was and is this place?

I see logo design not as an end in itself, but as a tool in your service design toolkit. Your logo is not your brand. Your brand is the experience your customers have and they tell their friends about. A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.

I still do appreciate the technical and design challenges involved in designing a good logo that stands the test of time and that represents the spirit of the company behind it.

Here are some of my efforts on that front.

Logo design ;)

Giving Back Some Love

I aspire to be the light that I want to see in this world. So these are the projects I have made, and still continue to develop, in the spirit of pro bono work. I usually pick organizations or groups that do their best to make the world a better place for all of us and in return I try to make the world a bit of a better place for them.

Compressed Me

Location Southern Finland, Helsinki

Hobbies Watching Youtube in 2x speed, reading prolifically, flirting with biohacking, dabbling in powerlifting, climbing, hiking, gardening, video games and all sorts of DIY projects.

Character I have a very easy laugh/smile trigger. On the other hand I am a critical thinker by nature and consider the practical implications when faced with new ideas. I'm also allergic to drama, however I've found direct communication to be the perfect antidote. I think I perform admirably under pressure and am known to keep my teammates' heads above water with the combination of stubborn perseverance and bad jokes.

Quirks I get weird pleasure from peeling honey pomelos and organizing things into boxes. One of my favourite desserts is tough, chewy rye bread topped with cheese and banana slices. I also instinctively start to sock ski on slippery floors.

How did I end up here?

When I was too young to know any better I wanted to be an actress. I happily pursued this goal until I turned 15 and saw Jurassic Park in a theater with my dad. Aside from being scared shitless by velociraptors I was awed by the beauty of the digitalized reality on screen. By the time the credits started rolling I realized I wanted my name to be under "Special Effects" rather than under "Cast".

And behold: thus entereth design in my life.

This lucky event took me on a new path that has led me to a line of work that I've held for 20 years and that I still devotedly.

My expertise was founded in graphic design, which grew to include UI design and front-end development. Later, working as the General Manager of a Bed & Breakfast allowed me to apply my UX skills to the physical world.

All of the above comes together in Service Design. My experience has allowed me to design both digital services and physical spaces that serve their users in the best possible way. I'm currently doing just that as my day job at e21.

Ways to know more about me

In previous years I've been way too busy creating and doing so I'm behind in building my online precense. I'm in the process of changing this, but for now, the best ways to get to know me better are to:

Add me on LinkedIn. I've started to network more on LinkedIn. Hit that button. It would be nice to connect or even exhange ideas over a cuppa of hot beverage of your choosing.

Download my résumé. I prefer the fluidity of the web for résumé material, but if you're really into PDFs, this is a gold mine.

See my personal DIY projects. Something definitely stuck from my carpenter-grandfather, because I've always liked to tinker with physical things in addition to bytes and pixels. Stop. Hammer time!