The mission for the year was to “wipe the dust off sivistys”, aiming to update and modernize perceptions associated with the term. “Sivistys” is a Finnish word, which has a rich and multifaceted meaning, encompassing concepts related to intellectual, cultural, and moral development. Depending on the context, it can be translated into English as civilization (referring to the collective cultural and societal advancement of a group of people), education (highlighting the acquisition of knowledge, learning, and intellectual growth), or culture (elating to the shared practices, values, and arts that elevate human experience).

The theme year’s mission inspired the concept of the visual identity, which features two overlapping layers with identical text content, differing in headline typography and colors. The top layer represents history, with its headline font being the distinctive serif style Armag Fury. When this top layer is “wiped away”, a second layer is revealed underneath, representing the present day, and characterized by different colors and sans-serif headline typography, TT Hoves. The theme year’s logo is crafted from the word sivistys, which is divided into three lines according to syllables, and using two different fonts from the visual identity. The colors are bright and saturated, borrowing the color palette of the Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation, thus forming a connection with the organizing body of the theme year.