Six decades – and six different roles for the industrial

In Finland the role of the industrial designer has changed with time. When the professional practice of industrial design first started to form, the designer was a creator whose work was likened to that of the artist. In the sixties designers started to work in closer cooperation with the industry, and the designer became a member of a team together with the engineer and the marketing representatives. In the seventies ergonomics were largely discussed and in the eighties the issue of Design Management became popular. In the nineties brand building and strategic design became the focus areas, and in the new millennium design was seen as a means of innovation.