The awarded Creative Director Chris Bolton joins SEK Design studio

The name 'Chris Bolton' is likely to ring a bell (or several) if you've moved in Finnish design circles over the last 20 years. He is a staple on industry award shortlists, a regular jury member, and sits on the board of Grafia. He has guest lectured on visual and graphic design at the Aalto University of Art & Design and Haaga-Helia University.

Chris and the leadership at SEK had held occasional talks about him potentially joining the agency for a while now. Two years, to be exact.

"I had discussed the possibility with Jaakko (Rantala, CEO) and Jarno (Luotonen, ECD) every now and then. But I still needed a little time to decide on my next move. I had a long career with hasan & partners before, for a while I worked freelance and recently with Suunto."

An SMS out of the blue and a coffee meeting sealed the deal

What finally convinced Chris to jump onboard was the approach from Amanda Rajatora, Head of Design at SEK.

"She just texted me: 'Hey, we don't know each other, but I've heard good things about you from colleagues – let's grab a coffee and talk?' Meeting Amanda, I was very impressed by her energy, and knowing the other talents there were at SEK was also a draw for me," Chris describes the process.

In the age of AI, anyone can prompt something in an instant. Chris still remains a strong believer in human creativity. It was another big part of what drew him to SEK.

"I knew that was a focus on the design approach here. And since SEK has the biggest, most diverse clientele in Finland, it was an easy decision to join in the end."

Making the whole design industry shine will lift all boats

If there's an iconic brand, Chris has probably worked with them: his list of clients include names like Finnair, Marimekko, Neste, K-Group, Fiskars, Arabia Finland, Iittala, Metsä, Fazer, Valio, Nokia... and those are just some of the Finnish ones.

So how does a seasoned professional who's seen it all view the current creative direction on the Finnish scene? One hurdle he sees Finns still need to cross is the way of thinking.

"In Finland, we take on a small market mindset and let it inhibit us. Instead, we could use it as an upside: be bold and move fast!" Chris encourages and takes an example: "Through Grafia, I get to know a lot of design agencies in Europe. I was recently in Vilnius visiting Sons and Daughters. They're a small operation, but consistently do great work, show pride in what they do, and I'm very happy to see them getting recognition for it: they've risen to be a top 10 -ranked agency in Europe."

Chris says he hopes to see all agencies and professionals in Finland to follow the Baltic example: lift not just their own work, but the broader role of design more to the fore.

"We need to generate more awareness about Finnish creativity. Good press and international exposure is a win for all Finnish design. It's a collective effort: the way we change the mindset is together."