Creative Findings in Sweden

In 2017, I took my first ever solo travel trip to a place that I had been enamored with since I first learned about the Scandinavian country with a robust history and culture of design. I landed in Sweden with my camera ready to breathe life into my hobby and passion. What I didn’t expect was to leave inspired to take my creativity even further to new mediums and ultimately spark my design journey.

My First Fika

I first learned about Fika on a wonderful solo trip to Sweden a couple years ago and it really stuck with me. Up until this moment, the context of coffee in my life was it existing as a tool, as something to help me go faster. In Sweden, they take an opposite approach. Fika is essentially a break from work, typically in the afternoon, to enjoy coffee, pastries and good conversation. It’s a social ritual that Sweden takes seriously to the point that even the Volvo factory stops work everyday to honor it. Fika is about taking a deliberate break to consume coffee and a pastry and using that time to slow down and connect. Coffee to them is not tool not to go faster, but to slow down; a conduit to help keep the societal fabric together.

Shortly after my trip to Sweden, I decided to fully embrace a career shift and I enrolled at UCLA Extension in the design program. When the time came to design my first print package, I jumped at the opportunity to design something inspired from my trip. Based on my own experience of learning about Fika as an American, I came up with a brand that helps US customers discover the joy of slowing down with a coffee and sweet treat. I designed a starter pack of sorts to help people experience and learn about Fika in a convenient but vibrant package.

Process - Inspiration gathering

I take the adage “write what you know” and try to apply that to my design work. I make sure my inspiration is rooted in something authentic. And if I’m not as knowledgeable in a subject as I’d like, or if I’m approaching it from an outside pov, I do my best to research research research.

The creative inspiration manifested itself not only in the digital with photographs and packaging mocks, but the physical form as well. Here are some pottery pieces I made inspired by the ritual of fika. I designed taking inspiration from Scandinavian winter and kept the glaze application itself and shape of the cups organic and handmade with the hopes of encouraging taking mindful breaks throughout the day.