Nurturing Design | In Conversation with Emmi Salonen

Az alábbi interjú az Elméleti- és Alapképző Tanszék Kutatásmódszertan órájának keretében készült angol nyelven. A cikkben Emmi Salonen, a Studio Emmi alapítója és kreatív igazgatója osztja meg gondolatait szakmai pályaválasztásáról, tervezői motivációjáról és a kreatív iparág kihívásairól. Az interjút Szabó Linda, a Tervezőgrafika Tanszék hallgatója készítette.

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Emmi Salonen, originally from Finland, is the Founder and Creative Director of Studio Emmi, a London-based studio specializing in sustainable branding and visual identity. She developed the Creative Ecosystem model to foster well-being in creative work.

Emmi studied graphic design at the University of Brighton and gained international experience at Fabrica in Italy, Karlssonwilker in New York, and as UK Creative Director at Futerra. Her work focuses on sustainability, diversity, and creating positive societal impact, and she regularly shares her expertise through workshops, talks, and mentoring.

Interview by Linda Szabó

What were the AHA moments in your life when you felt the designer’s path was the one you would like to walk?

I discovered graphic design through music. I remember looking at flyers and thinking, “Oh, they make them look a certain way, in a certain style, using type, textures, and so on.” I was also really inspired by the whole DIY music scene, where the people making the music were also the ones creating the flyers, zines, record covers, and everything else. I loved that DIY mentality, where you sort of take charge of where your art or creativity is going. I think there’s a lot of similarity in running your own design practice: you do everything. You do the marketing, the business, the design, and then all the other things that come with it. I remember looking at a flyer and it just clicked—“someone made decisions to make it look that way.” It opened up a world in my head, like, “Ah, OK—a person can do this.”

What were the things in your study that really benefited how you work today? What way of thinking and doing was different in working life from what you learned in school?

I think it sort of carries on from the DIY thing. At university, there was a very strict, one-way approach—it was all about Helvetica and the kind of Bauhaus style. Like, “this is design, this is good design”.

But then, looking at zines, magazines, and things people made in their own time—around whatever they were passionate about, whether it was politics or cats or it didn’t matter—it became so much livelier. It had more spirit, more character. That really inspired me.

For me, it was about balancing those two things: learning about grids, structure, and the “proper way” of doing things at university, and then being influenced by design that felt freer on the page—things that visually excited me more. But I think too much of anything is always too much. If I had only followed the university style, I wouldn’t have had anything unique to express. And if I’d only gone the other direction—just doing whatever I wanted—I wouldn’t have learned how to communicate effectively. I wouldn’t have developed structure or hierarchy in my designs so people can easily understand what I’m trying to say.

It’s a balancing act. It was at Fabrica when I worked in Italy, we would have weekly gatherings in an auditorium. People from all the departments would come together, and you’d show what you were working on—no matter what stage it was in. It could just be a sketch or a piece of paper.

Then people would just shout their opinions: “Yeah, that’s not going to work!” or “That’s amazing, carry on!” A few times, I’d just stand there in front of 50 to 100 people while they argued among themselves about whether my sketch was good or not. That really taught me something important: it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

I just need to trust what I think is best for the job, the client, or whatever it is I’m doing. People will always have their own negative and positive feedback. That experience really toughened me up. I had to learn to keep a distance from my work and not take everything personally. And there’s something quite comical about it too, at the same time.

Where does professional confidence come from? Is it because you learn things properly, or is there an inner feeling that you’re not just good at it, but that it’s something you’re born to do?

That’s a nice question. For me, confidence comes from being happy with what I’m doing. If I’m content with my work, I trust that it’s working. For example, when creating logos, if something doesn’t feel quite right, I usually find that the client feels the same way. So, I’ve learned to trust my intuition.

Confidence also comes from knowing what I need from the client to do my job properly. Once I communicate those needs clearly—like a clear brief and the process of presenting options, with only a few rounds of revisions—I feel more in control. If the client wants to go beyond that, I can confidently explain the extra costs. This clear, agreed-upon process gives me confidence because it’s structured and transparent.

When I don’t set boundaries like this, I lose confidence and might question whether I should make more revisions. Design is also about negotiating with the client, almost “selling” your work by helping them feel confident in their decisions. It’s about building trust and guiding them through the process.

I remember one time years ago when I worked as a freelancer in a studio. The guy running the studio was so insecure about whether the client would like the logo that he wanted us to present like 30 options—just a table full of printouts, so many ideas. When the client came in, they didn’t know what to do with it and didn’t choose anything. I learned that showing so many options is just showing your own lack of confidence in your design.

There’s no right or wrong way to do it. You have to set your approach, and communicate it clearly, and if the client agrees, you guide them through this journey.

I wonder whether you learned this from your own experience or also by sitting next to other people. Because, for example, going to a client meeting with another designer, one can learn a lot from how they do things…

It’s a mix of both. And, of course, with time, things get easier. The longer you do it, the more natural it becomes. You also start to distance yourself from the feedback and reactions, and you notice similar responses from very different people.

For example, last week I presented something for a huge organization—about 120 people. They wanted to open up the design process so that a lot of people could give input on the design directions. I knew that by doing this, we were opening the door to all kinds of comments, because I hadn’t sat down with them to explain everything—what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how. I just gave them a glimpse.

And, as expected, sometimes people just fill the space—saying something just to say something because they’re in the meeting. You have to let it go. I always try to respond with something like, “Well, the thinking behind this is…” and then not dwell on it afterward. I try not to overthink it or think, “Why did I say that?” or “I failed because they pointed this out.” No, it’s part of the process. 

And the more people involved, the messier it gets. I always try to keep it simple and prefer working with just one client contact. Even with this project, I have one person who we agreed will ultimately make the decision. Even if all 119 others say no, she can still say yes.

What is the main drive behind your motivation to design, that makes it worth putting your life energy into?

I just love making. At this point in my career, I could focus solely on creative direction, but I really enjoy making. I love crafting and paying attention to the details of design. I think it is really for me.

After about 10-15 years in the industry— I’m like 25 years in the industry now—you usually stop designing and pass the work on to others. But I hold onto it because I still really enjoy it. However, if I worked in an agency with a bigger team, it would be important for me not to be the one designing the exciting work. Young designers need the chance to create. It’s really detrimental to the mindset of a studio if the creative director, at the top, keeps taking on the most exciting projects and doesn’t give them to the designers below. It’s disheartening when someone can sit in a studio for two or three years and never get the opportunity to work on something exciting because someone at the top just can’t let go and believes they should still be crafting. 

It’s also about knowing what really fills your cup, what you truly want to do, and making sure you put yourself in an environment where you can do that and not get tormented by others.

What do you think, how can design support sustainability?

I think in many ways. If the client asks for it, then it’s an easier door to go through because they’ve invited you to come up with solutions. But I think we can do it even without being asked—we can choose better papers, better methods, or suggest things. And it doesn’t always need to be something that gets “shouted about”—it can just be a better design choice.

But it’s interesting because things have changed so much. When I started, there was no such thing as sustainable design—it was environmental design, and people didn’t really pay attention to it at all. Now, a lot of it feels quite surface-level. Like, recently, I barely ever do printed stuff anymore, but I did a business card design as part of an identity, and it was just a two-colored thing. When I showed the first visuals, one comment was that the business cards were using too much ink because they were using the whole surface. That was basically the only feedback I got. My thought was, well, it could be white paper with just a bit of type. But then it’s like, when does it become greenwashing? Does the organization as a whole really pay attention to things in-house? A business card doesn’t really make a huge impact if you print 100 cards, but yes, you still want to come across in a certain way. You could use recycled colored paper and just print with one color, but it’s interesting because now people know the world expects them to be sustainable, and they expect to do it at a much more common level. But what’s actually helpful for them?

For example, I’d suggest that while all your reports are online, the business cards are the only printed thing. So maybe look into offsetting the digital carbon footprint, rather than worrying about the ink on the business card. But, of course, you still need to do these things, because at that human level, you can’t just tell them, “Well, that’s a silly idea.” You have to navigate it and suggest things in a way that includes them in the process. It’s very similar to presenting any design ideas. If I just go and present the work, like, “Hey, look at this amazing logo I’ve done, isn’t it just brilliant?” they’ll be like, “Yeah…” But if I say, “We had this conversation about your needs, and we wanted to explain this story through the design…” and bring them along on the journey, then they’re much more open to sharing it. They can explain the design to others—whether it’s their team, clients, or whoever.

It’s the same with sustainability. You need to find those moments for conversation, and I really think it’s a conversation. Because can we make the business card sustainable, and then what? Is that the end of it?

What is the design work where you really felt it aligned with your values, where your client truly understood you and you were on the same page?

I’ve really enjoyed working with the Finnish Institute in London. They’ve been one of my long-term clients—I think I’ve worked with them for over 10 years now. What’s interesting about them is that every three years, all of their staff changes. So, even though I’m not part of the staff, I’m the longest-standing person who works with them.

The most recent people, who are actually leaving now, were great to work with because they trusted me fully. We would still go through all the conversations every time, and I really invested time to listen to their needs. But, whatever I would deliver, they’d just say, “Yeah, we’ll choose that route,” and that would be it—no major changes or anything.

There are many reasons I enjoy working with a client. On the surface level, it’s because I’m excited about their work, but also on a practical level—how it is to collaborate with them. I currently have a difficult client who completely disrespects my time. I’ve told them many times that I’m only available on the days they’ve booked me. If that changes, they need to let me know, and I can’t deliver things with just a day’s notice. For example, they’ve asked me for things within an hour, and I just can’t do that. Those things stress me out because it’s okay to say it once, but when I have to keep repeating myself, it drains my energy. The focus should be on the design, not on constantly repeating the same process.

So, I really enjoy it when the work itself is exciting, and when the client is kind and respectful. That’s when the combination feels most beautiful.

What are you working on now? What are the projects you’re most enthusiastic about recently?

The one thing I’m absolutely, completely excited about is that I’m writing a book on the Creative Ecosystem. It’s coming out towards the end of next year, so that’s taking up a lot of my headspace and time.

In addition to that, I’m working on a couple of identities—one for a yoga studio in Maastricht and another for the European Forest Institute. I’m also working on two sustainability reports at the moment.

Regarding your Creative Ecosystem model—where did all this come from, and what motivated you in your life to come up with it?

I went through quite a bad burnout, maybe about six years ago. As a result, I had to stop working for a while. I was physically unwell, but I also felt mentally drained. I couldn’t think about work at all anymore. It felt like I had run out of ideas, out of inspiration. So, I decided to take time off. What started as half a year off turned into a full year.

It’s a common thing that people do during times like this: I traveled a lot. I went to some incredible places and met makers from cultures where creativity and craftsmanship are highly valued. I wanted to understand how they kept the craft alive across generations. What I realized is that the human struggle, my struggle, is very common—there’s no single solution or one-size-fits-all answer.

After traveling, I returned to Finland, my home country, and spent a lot of time in the Archipelago and the forests, just playing around with natural elements. That’s when I started thinking about creativity as an ecosystem, where everything is interconnected and interdependent. If something’s off in one area, it affects everything else. I used to think design was just one small part of my life—this little section of „Emmi” over here—and everything else happened separately. But then I realized, no, every part of my life is creativity.

I came to understand that if I feed all areas that are truly meaningful to me, they will, in turn, feed my creativity. At first, it was just a personal insight—these are the things I need for myself. But as I talked about it more, I saw that it could actually be helpful to others as well. So I changed it a little bit so that it’s not just about me, but it’s like, hey, here’s a framework that could work for you too. 

It has really helped me, because I think primarily, it allows me to spend time on things that feed my energy and inspiration, and just take time off. Whereas before, I felt so guilty—like, am I being productive? What will I get from doing this? And now, actually, all of it sustains my work. And it’s very much like sustainability—it’s the same thing we ask of ourselves and others towards nature: to give it time, space, and respect. We should do the same if we want to sustain ourselves. We need to nurture and give ourselves what we need to keep growing.

And how is it like? Did you make actual research or mostly talking to people like designers about it?

Yes, I’ve interviewed a lot of people. I’ve run a lot of workshops. I did a Science of Well-Being course with Yale University, and I became a happiness facilitator with an online course called Museum of Happiness. I learned a lot about the science of well-being, the science of happiness, and positive psychology studies. I also explored research around things like time affluence—the concept that you’re rich with time. If you have enough time to do everything you want to do, including doing nothing, and not feeling stressed for time. But I think it’s something like 80% of people feel time poor, so there’s this weird thing where almost all of us feel like we don’t have enough time.

Those studies really helped ground a lot of the thinking. They kind of certify the thinking, so to speak. And that’s what the book will be—it will bring my thinking, some of the studies together, and then include activities, kind of like a workbook.

Do you have any advice for design students?

Number one is that you are enough as you are right now. You have everything you need at this very moment. Time will bring you more resources, more experiences, and more references to choose from. But be kind to yourself and don’t be too hard on yourself thinking you’re not there yet. We’re all on a journey, and we’re all at different points in it at different times. The only comparison you should make is where you were on Monday to where you are on Friday. Don’t compare yourself to others.

The whole idea of the creative ecosystem is about recognizing the resources you already have—within yourself, your family, your friends, your environment—and making the most of them. It’s not about ticking off a to-do list and thinking everything will be fine. It’s about understanding how much you already have at your disposal that you might overlooking.

I can clearly see from your work and the way you speak that you’re really open and willing to share your expertise and experience. Why do you think this is important and natural? What do you think about knowledge sharing within the design community?

I think we need to look after each other, and that’s the most important thing. There’s so much happening in the world right now, it feels like more than ever, and it’s easy to feel like we don’t have the power to change things or that our efforts aren’t enough. But I believe it’s enough if we are kind to ourselves and to the people around us. That’s where our real power lies. We can influence the world in small, everyday ways, and of course, aim to do bigger things through our work and have a positive influence. But the kindness we show can create a ripple effect, and that’s really all we can do. I hope that makes sense.

In our industry, we’re more likely to suffer from burnout and mental health struggles. I think we can do better, and like with any illness, the first step is to talk about it. We need to start talking and helping each other. If everyone realized how common it is to feel like they’re not enough, not doing enough, or not good enough—those are such common feelings—it would help ease the pain that people are going through.

It sounds to me like the other things apart from design that we also should learn somehow and that are really related to design…

Yeah. I think that’s probably at the core of what I try to focus on—the human aspect of it. The relationship we have with clients and anyone we work with. I believe that’s really our biggest strength.

What tools or steps from your Creative Ecosystem model would you recommend to designers in order to take care of themselves, to prevent burnout?

Maybe the most important thing is to allow yourself to take a break. It can just be little moments in your day when you just look at a distance or make yourself a cup of tea. But also make sure that you get a good night’s sleep at least a couple of nights a week. You don’t have to take a year off work to be well—hopefully, you don’t have to. There’s another scientific thing that has been proven: if you do take a break, you actually come back to work refreshed, with a new reframed mindset. You are more creative, you have more energy, and it prevents burnout. So there’s no point in feeling guilty about slowing down.

Another huge thing I’m a big advocate for is movement—walking or any form of exercise. Movement is so vital, and it really helps not only in the current moment, processing your thoughts and feelings, but it’s also a beautiful long-term tool that can protect our creativity. There’s nothing as easy as just moving that we can do to better our physical and mental well-being, and those are both free things you can do.

Then overall, the Ecosystem has five areas:
CONNECTION: Being okay with yourself or knowing yourself, and making sure that you have people around you who support you.
WONDER: Having that open mindset.
MOVEMENT and PAUSE—which we’ve spoken about.

It’s also about finding a way to be okay with negative feelings and thoughts because they are just passing. But finding mechanisms to deal with them better is important. I think that’s a real designer problem—being so close with our work and taking things so personally. If things don’t go well, it’s really unhealthy, and it doesn’t need to be that way.

The last thing is JOY: Try and find moments or times, once a month or whenever, where you just make for the sake of making, not worrying about the outcome. Let go of the need for perfection, because it’s just going to stop you from getting anywhere.

If you could wish for one thing for this world that we could improve through design, what would it be?

Maybe it’s simply returning to kindness. But that’s really the essence of it: it’s hard to be kind to others if we aren’t kind to ourselves. So it’s all about finding ways to be at peace with who we are, how we are, and then sharing that healthy connection with the people around us as much as we can.

Thanks to Emmi Salonen for generously sharing her time and insights for this interview.

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_Studio Emmi | Web | Instagram
_Creative Ecosystem | Web
_Photos: Studio Emmi
_Studio Emmi Domestika course

_The interview was created in the framework of Artistic Research Methodology class
_Leading professors: Krisztina Somogyi, Gabriella Uhl