2019 marks the 100-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan. Artek, an iconic Finnish furniture company (founded in 1935 by Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen, and Nils-Gustav Hahl), celebrates the centennial with the collection of products and designs created in collaboration with leading Japanese and Finnish designers, architects and craftsmen. The result, FIN/JPN Friendship Collection, was launched in an installation designed by Linda Bergroth, at Salone del Mobile, Milan in April 2019. Offering interventions on classic Artek products and contemporary designs, the FIN/JPN Friendship Collection celebrates the unique "soulmate" relationship between the two countries.

Kokoro & Moi was responsible for creating the visual identity for the project, along with the graphic design of the exhibition, printed collateral and various marketing material and products, online and offline.

Creating the visual identity concept was driven by the desire to design a welcoming and approachable identity that brings out the "friendship" theme in a playful and inspiring way. The most obvious and generic symbols (hearts, flowers, etc.) were avoided to be used. The design language of the Artek’s visual communication has played a lot with geometric shapes taking inspiration from the iconic products of the company. For this project, which was a bit special and not about launching the one single product but a collection of several different designs, we wanted to find some other, more tangible and softer visual language to convey the main theme of the project.

Cats and humans have had a close bond for thousands of years, there is a strong emotional connection between us. In Japan, cats have played an important role in history and society, a somewhat mystical but favorable figure, for giving good luck and other positive results. Cats, in all the possible cute forms, have become mascots who pop up everywhere in culture and lifestyle. The hand-drawn cats were chosen as the key element of the identity, illustrating the "friendship" theme and enabling to design visually playful, welcoming and inspiring applications.

The logo for the project was designed by aligning the typographic elements FIN and JPN stand side by side, as friends, brought together by Artek with the rounded frame of the logo, taking inspiration from the L-shaped leg seen on many of the company’s best-known products. Two colors were added in the palette to be used in the background of the layouts, in the basic forms of circle and rectangle. The color pink is recognizably a vernal color of Japan with its blooming cherry trees. The color green represents the characteristic feature of Finland, forests, which cover almost 75% of the land area. Futura, which is Artek’s brand typography, was used for the texts.