Verbal Functionality

All of us designers are probably familiar with the importance given to functionality by Scandinavian Design in general. After spending a couple of months in Stockholm, I now know that, for Swedes, functionality is much more than just an important element of design. It is, rather, a lifestyle. How I've come to understand this is due to a pattern I've been realizing: The Swedish way of naming places. Let me exemplify my point, by using comparisons here and there:


-What are the names of most popular art & design schools in London? Central Saint Martins, Goldsmiths, etc.
-What is the name of the art & design school I go to in Stockholm? “Konstfack”. [Art (Konst) Faculty (fack)]. Simple as that. The neighborhood where Konstfack is located now was previously a production site for Ericsson. So guess what it is called: Telefonplan. ("Telefon" means telephone, and "plan" means square) More examples come from streetnames surrounding this place: Microphoneway, Telephoneway.

-What are some of the most famous cultural centers in London called? Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Arts Center, etc.
-Stockholm’s biggest cultural center is named Kulturhuset. [Culture (Kultur) House (huset)].

-How do we call London's hub of transport? King's cross, Liverpool Street, etc.
-Stockholm’s hub of transport is named T-centralen, T standing for Tunnelbana, which means "the tube". The most central train station is called Centralstation.

-The most central square in London? Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, etc.
-Guess how they call the central square in Stockholm: Centralplan ("plan" meaning square)

-Sweden's famous menswear brand is named DressMann. The newspaper vendor you can find in all stations in Stockholm is called "Pressbyrån" ("byrån" meaning bureau/office), etc., etc...

So what do all these add up to? A total stranger who speaks Swedish at beginners' level can, very easily, find his/her way around the city, the moment he/she sets foot in there. In the Swedish capital there are almost no places named after dynasties, wars, important historical dates, figures, events, etc. (Or maybe, to avoid exaggeration, I have to admit to having seen an Olof Palme street somewhere in the city).

I can hear you say "What's the relevance of all these to us designers?" Well, we just have to realize that function, form and content do not follow one another, but are rather integral parts of a much bigger picture, and a holistic mindset--often an ideology.