Ornamo Award ’24 winners work across all layers of the planet – from roadsides to the troposphere
The recipients of the Ornamo Award have been selected from 84 nominations. The 2024 winners are measurement technology company Vaisala, transition designer Zeynep Falay von Flittner, and recent Aalto University Master’s graduate in design, Iines Jakovlev. Additionally, a special honorable mention was awarded to the startup company Materialisting.
All winners apply sustainability principles in their work and strategy in innovative and responsible ways. The winners are announced during the opening event of Helsinki Design Week and were selected by a jury of design professionals and stakeholders. The jury included Nokia’s Design Director, Jonne Harju; Rester’s Head of Partnerships, Anna-Kaisa Huttunen; glass artist Renata Schirm; Sitra’s Futurist, Otto Tähkäpää; and Venture Capitalist Maria Wasastjerna. The jury was chaired by Katja Soini, Chair of Ornamo and Director of Strategy and Sustainability at Afry.
According to the jury, all the award recipients represent innovative approaches, solutions, or products that bring value and growth to the companies developing and commercializing them. In addition, the awardees provide solutions to societal and environmental challenges aligned with sustainable development goals.
Design at Vaisala is tied to climate goals
The Ornamo Award 2024 for Design Utilization is granted to measurement technology company Vaisala, in recognition of its significant contribution to enabling climate action. According to the jury, Vaisala elevates creativity as a key driver of innovation alongside technology and science.
Vaisala is a global leader in measurement technology, and its intelligent solutions enhance resource efficiency, accelerate the energy transition, and ensure the safety and well-being of people and societies worldwide. For nearly 90 years, Vaisala’s measurement solutions have supported the climate efforts of clients across various industries. The company’s technology is used in over 150 countries — and even on Mars.
The jury emphasized Vaisala’s exceptionally clear mission to understand, mitigate, and address the consequences of climate change, as well as its broad use of diverse design disciplines such as customer experience, user interface design, industrial design, service design, visual design, and usability assessment.
The Ornamo Sphere trophy, designed by Timo Sarpaneva, will be accepted by Vaisala’s Head of Design Sauli Laitinen, who has led the company’s design team since 2010.
Designer Zeynep Falay von Flittner is at the forefront of systemic change
The Ornamo Award 2024 Design Forerunner Prize is awarded to Zeynep Falay von Flittner in recognition of her holistic approach to advancing sustainable development goals. The award includes a €2,500 prize.
According to the jury, Falay von Flittner serves as an inspiring role model and an empowering force within the design community. She has established herself as a leader in transformational design, achieving significant results in both environmental protection and social well-being as a consultant, educator, and researcher.
Falay von Flittner is the founder of Falay Transition Design Collective, a network of multidisciplinary professionals dedicated to driving systemic change through tailored training and coaching programs. Under her leadership, the collective has pioneered the integration of design methods into broader societal transformation efforts.
Future material flows are expanding at the roadside
Ornamo also recognizes Iines Jakovlev, a recent graduate of the Master’s program in Design at Aalto University, with an award based on presentations from design institutions. The Ornamo Award 2024 Encouragement Prize, valued at €500, is presented in acknowledgment of Jakovlev’s innovative approach and contribution to advancing sustainable development in the field of design.
In her thesis, Jakovlev explores the dimensions of biomimetic design while investigating new fiber plants from local nature and roadside environments. Her work emphasizes the importance of bio-based and ecological solutions and material research in the future of design.
Materialisting provides sustainable material choices for professionals in interior design and construction
The Jury’s Honorable Mention is awarded to the platform service Materialisting, a start-up driving sustainability transformation in interior design and construction. Materialisting’s innovative carbon footprint measurement software helps interior designers and other built environment professionals make environmentally responsible material choices.
Founded in 2021 and operating in Joensuu and Helsinki, Materialisting aims to expand its platform to the European market. The jury highlighted Materialisting’s significant contribution to advancing sustainable development and the exceptional value it brings to the fields of design and construction.
The award will be accepted by the company’s CEO and founder, interior architect Hilda Rantanen.
Ornamo Award ’24 – the awards will be presented on September 10th at 6 PM during the Helsinki Design Week opening event.
The event is fully booked.
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Ornamo in a nutshell
Ornamo is Finland’s largest design community, bringing together 3,000 professionals from across the diverse field of contemporary design. Ornamo advances the work of designers and highlights the value of design in society. It serves as the voice, community, and support network for designers.
Ornamo has been honoring designers since 1981, making the award a highly regarded recognition within the design industry. The current Ornamo Award is presented every two years. Nominations for the award are collected from Ornamo members as well as other key figures in the field. A jury composed of design professionals and stakeholders selects the recipients. In addition, Ornamo also grants an encouragement award to a student from a Design University.