suunnitteluhaasteisiin

Suunnitteluhaasteisiin is a Finnish term used to describe structured design challenges presented to designers and teams. The word combines suunnittelu (design) with haasteisiin (into challenges), indicating a focus on engaging with clearly defined problems rather than routine development work. In practice, suunnitteluhasteisiin refers to tasks or programs designed to elicit creative, user-centered solutions within specific constraints.

It appears in education, industry, and public-sector innovation programs in Finland and beyond. The format frames a problem with objectives, user needs, constraints, and evaluation criteria, guiding participants through a focused design process. Participants work in multidisciplinary teams, often with mentors and judges, and are expected to deliver tangible artefacts, such as prototypes or demonstrators, and a concise presentation explaining the solution and its value.

Process typically follows design-thinking or design-sprint methods: a brief, research, ideation, prototyping, user testing, and presentation. Iteration is encouraged, with feedback loop guiding refinement. Prototypes range from sketches to interactive models. Success is judged on impact, feasibility, desirability, and sustainability, rather than solely on novelty. The activity also emphasizes collaboration, communication, and documentation, building transferable skills for future work.

By promoting rapid exploration of real-world problems, suunnitteluhasteisiin aims to produce practical concepts, strengthen partnerships between academia and industry, and foster talent development in design and innovation.