On Wednesday 23 September, it was time for the start of this year's eXpression Design programme in Umeå. The nine admitted creatives met at the Arts Campus for a joint afternoon with an introduction to the programme, a lecture on the design process and a tour of the 3D lab and SoftLab workshops. The aim of the programme is both to broaden their networks with other creatives and local manufacturers over six months and to find tools through the design and business process to create greater business value.

Nine excited creatives gathered on Wednesday at the Umeå Arts Campus to launch the eXpression Design programme. The creators will broaden their networks with other creators such as designers, shapers, craftspeople, artists and artisans, but also among local manufacturers and new national and international sales channels. At the end of the programme, the creators will have developed an idea into a finished product based on a chosen material.

-"It's exciting to take all the good experiences from the Summer eXpression programme aimed at students and offer creatives in the region a similar process to develop their entrepreneurship, design process and network, Barbro Renkel, Business Coach and Program Manager eXpression Design in Umeå.

During the first meeting, the Industrial Designer and today's process leader Joakim Bergbom a workshop in "How to design your own process". Joakim believes that there are as many processes as there are creators and during the workshop he gave out tools to help creators analyse, develop and design their own process.

One of the creators admitted to the programme is the Modist Catharina Carlsson:

-"I'm very interested in the design process and it was great that this topic was the starting point for eXpression Design. Joakim probably made everyone think a bit about how their own process is in relation to the various visualizations that existed before.

-In these six months I hope to go outside my comfort zone where I rely only on myself and what I know, to maybe work with external expertise in mind, but so far it's a blank slate. I don't know where this will lead and it's a very pleasant stage to be in.

The nine creators accepted for this year's eXpression Design are:

Anna Lindwall - Mrs&Froken
Camilla Caster - Camilla Caster glass
Catharina Carlsson - See Carlssons Design AB
Denis Vilenica - Denis Vilenica
Fanny Lindén - Lindén Design
Helena Byström - Helena Byström
Helena Melehoff - New Makeriet Leather & Nature
Sara Rylander - Mrs&Fröken
Sofia Rönnberg - SofiaKarolina

Contact
Barbro Renkel
Program Manager eXpression Design Umeå
barbro.renkel@expressionumea.se