Umeå Christmas Market for Umeå C

Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

Content

01 About Designverkstad

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02 Project description Background

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03 Work process

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05 Concept proposals Theme Candles Cottage design Lay out Stage Exhibition area Relax area Theme day Ice/winter bar Display area Calendar Lightning

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06 Recommendations

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08 Project team

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01 About Designverkstad

Designverkstad is an activity in which companies and organizations facing university students and together develops creative and innovative ideas, customized for the future. The companies get new ideas for their businesses and the students make valuable contacts and experience.

The designprocess is the core of the work when the interdisciplinary team of students working out user-focused solutions on behalf of the local business community. The team is working for seven weeks during the summer with six company missions. The focus of the missions is very different from each other. This year’s missions are to develop a Christmas market, creating a unique meeting place and to look at ideas for the future of Yellow Pages.

In addition, create design concepts for a marina, an engine unit and a tonometer for measuring eye pressure. The result of the work are interesting and unique solutions. Throughout this document you can read more about one of them.

Designverkstad is part of the Summer Entrepreneurs who Uminova Innovation coach in its incubator during the summer. The students are matched together with the industry in the region. In this way, students can try out what it is like starting there own business and work with real business missions.

Design Workshop Umeå 2011 is implemented by Design Västerbotten which is a regional effort with ALMI Nord Group as a principal and aims to increase understanding of how design is an important tool for business development. Greater use of design objective is to strengthen the competitiveness and growth. When municipalities, companies and organizations are using cuttingedge expertise in the design field develops unique and competitive offerings that strengthen regional development.

Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

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02 Project description

Background

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Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

Umeå C has a vision of organizing a yearly Christmas market, as one of the big events in Umea’s calendar. The market is planned to be open throughout December, like the Old Town Christmas Fair in Stockholm. The proposal is that the market will take place on a very central place, Renmarkstorget in Umeå. For a uniform and coherent impression, the idea is that the cottages used as sales booths will be available for rent. Umeå C wants the Designverkstad to help them develop the idea of the Christmas market.

The developed concept should contain both ideas for the layout of the market but also an overall concept that gives proposals for features and possible activities at the market. The final concept will consist of a report, the one your now reading, and a presentation where the ideas are being visualized.

Umeå C is an organization created and run by a number of business owners, the parking company named UPAB and some of the real estate owners in Umeå centre. The goal with their work is to create a city centre that feels more alive, a place people like to come, visit and stay to enjoy. Their way to succeed with this is by arranging different activities in the city centre to make Umeå centre a more attractive place.

The concept of creating a Christmas market is nothing completely new for Umeå C, they have earlier arranged a smaller market for just a couple of days, but this time they want to do it for real and create a market that people remember and hopefully come from places outside Umeå to visit.

Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

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03 Work process

The project started with a brief from Umeå C where they gave us information about themselves as an organisation and also about their vision of the project. Together with Umeå C we visited the area where the market is proposed to be situated: Renmarkstorget.

This gave us a chance to see the area and get a feeling of what we had to work with.

To get inspiration we started the project with looking at other markets around the world. We both found god and bad examples of how it would be possible to arrange a Christmas market.To get an image of what the new market had to “compete” with we also analysed what markets you can find in the area near Umeå and what they offered their visitors. The markets in the area near Umeå are, at the most, for a couple of day and the focus is to sell handcrafts. We early in the process decided that we didn´t want the new market to compete with the other markets, we wanted it to be a market that had something else, a market that had the little extra, that made it different from the rest.

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Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

Work process

To get ideas of what feelings and features the Christmas market arranged by Umeå C should portray, we interviewed citizens of Umeå to ask what Christmas is for them and what they liked with Umeå and the winter here.

From the interviews and the rest of the research we created a mood board and some keywords to build an image of how we wanted the feeling of the market to be. The key words we chose for the market is: collaboration, warmth, helpfulness, excitement and gathering.

Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

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Work process

Since an important part of the market also was that we wanted it to feel alive and be more than just a place to shop we started to brainstorm about activities and events that could be a part of he market.

From all of the ideas that came up we chose the once that we thought matched the existing mood board and the key words for the market. We divided the permanent activities and features with the more sporadic events. The sporadic ones we placed into a calendar to see the possibility to fill the days with activities but also to figure out how the area could be used in a good and effective way.

As a part of the process we also evaluated different proposals for the design of the cottage, the lay out of the area and the placement of the cottages.

All this work was developed, put together and presented to Ume책 C as our proposal for the Christmas market.

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Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

Sketches of proposals for cottage design and lay out.

Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

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Advent A tradition that gathers people to prepare and wait for Christmas, a time of expectations, especially for the children.

Symbolised by al the warm light. Advent stars, candlesticks and especially the traditional lightning of a candle the four Sundays before Christmas. We want this tradition to be part of the market.

More than just a market Umeå have a lot to offer. Make the market feel alive by involving businesses, organisations and others. The market should be a place to promote al the nice things with Umeå. The market should be a place for more than just shopping.

Collaboration Warmth

Light of the centre Both the atmosphere and the features should transmit the spirit of a place that is welcoming and warm.

Excitement

The overall theme of the market should represent the purpose of what Umeå C want to create in Umeå centre, a place that by collaboration becomes a warm and enjoyable place, where people want to gather and enjoy the activities and features of the market.

We kept the key words that were developed during the research but also added the following statements to describe the foundation of the market.

Gathering

Theme

Helpfulness

04 Concept proposal

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Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

Candles

Since one of the more special traditions before Christmas is the lightning of the advent candles, we thought this would be a good concept to make this tradition part of the market. The lightning of the candle works as a countdown for Christmas in many Swedish homes, and the four Sundays before Christmas is a time when you gather around the advent candlestick to light the candle and establish that Christmas is getting closer.

The thought is to create symbolic candles as a focal point of the market and to make them the image of the market that will gather people when it´s time to lit the candle. Every Sunday a ceremony with performances and speeches will give an extra reason for the people of Umeå to gather and count down the days to Christmas.

The lit candles will, during the week, remind people that Christmas is getting closer and thereby spread the Christmas spirit in the city centre.

Cottage design

After evaluating the drawings of the proposed cottages and compared those sketches with cottages we saw during the research of other markets, we decided to make smaller changes to make them more welcoming by opening up the side walls. We also decided to propose to change the angle of the roof so that two cottages put together would give the impression of a pitched roof. To make the cottages more inviting we also proposed another way of opening the cottages which would make it possible for the customers to get closer to the cottages and also so that the construction would make the part you open to work as a roof for the ones shopping when the cottage is open.

Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

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Lay out

After discussing advantages and disadvantages of different layout solutions for the cottages we chose to place the cottages in a way that would make it feel like you are walking in a small village.

Around every corner you will find something new and exciting and there is no backside of the market.

Two of the cottages will be different from the once for rent. One will be for “the store of the day”, a cottage where the visitors will find a different store every day. This cottage will rise expectations for the cottages and make the market always contain something new. The store of the day will choose themselves what to do with the day, offer great deals or have fun competitions, it´s all up to them.

Another cottage will be for “wrapping and personal shopping”. In this cottage people can come and get help with wrapping their presents or help with what to buy as Christmas present. The cottage will be filled with examples on what to buy, both actual products but also collected by stores in a folder and sorted by categories, in shape of a catalogue, to give suggestions on what to buy to for example grandma.

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Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

Stage

To be able to present different events a stage is needed. The idea for placement of the stage, will be around the existing sculpture, as a way to integrate and enhance existing urban elements. The proposal is that the stage will be usable in more than one direction.

From the stage a red carpet will run through the market to make people go al the way down to the turistbyrå. The carpet can also be used for activities as a runway for a winter fashion show. On the stage there will be different types of performances during the weeks. Local artists, dancers and school and other choirs will be given a chance to be in the spotlight.

Exhibition area

To make the market feel alive we want it to be different activities during the weeks of the market. For this reason we created an area for exhibitions and workshops. This area will be assigned a different organisation everyday, where they have a chance to showcase what they do in an interactive way. For example a sewing association can teach people how to embroider or a sport group can show and teach different sports. In the weekends their will be arranged different workshops for children which will give parents time to shop Christmas presents or run other errands. This area will create expectations since it always will be something new, and it will also symbolise one of the keyword of the market; collaboration.

Relax area

To eat is an essential part of bringing people together and also of Christmas. Since there’s already a grill on the area of the market we wanted to include it in the layout of the market, and because of that we decided to make the area around the grill, determined by a urban fosrest, the area for eating and gathering. To make it a nice place to eat, seating area would be created, a place to gather and relax. This area is also near the already existing playground for children that we would like to develop even more and to have the seating next to that area would also make it a nice spot for parents to sit down while watching the kids play.

Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

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Theme days

To show the citizens of Umeå but also the tourists what Umeå and their surroundings have to offer and also to make the market even more alive we propose to have theme days to attract even more people. The proposed themes are outdoor and skis. Both of the themes gives the organisations that offers winter activities near Umeå a chance to show what they have to offer.

Ski theme For two days the ski resorts near Umeå will have a chance to showcase themselves, sell skipasses and just promote what they have to offer. Maybe a smaller rail and other activities connected to skis.

Outdoor theme Umeå and the rest of Västerbotten have a lot of outdoor activities to offer in the winter season. During two days they will have a chance to in an interactive way showcase al the adventures things they have to offer.

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Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

Ice/Winter bar

We also wanted to create a place where people could gather after work or in the weekends for a hot drink just to hang out. To create that our solution is to build a ice bar connected to one of the existing bars in the area. This area would also be great to end theme days on the market. For example having an after ski connected to the ski theme.

Display area

While looking at the location for the market we found an unused place on the wall above Indiska. This we figured would be a good place for having a display area, an area to show countdown for Christmas but primary to promote and inform everything that happens at the market, the shop of the day and al the upcoming events. This area is well seen by people walking on the shopping street and will because of that be a good marketing spot.

Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

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Commerce area

Exhibition area for workshops and organisations

Playing area

Candles

Display area

Relax area -food, drinks and seating

Red capet

Stage

Area for theme days

Ice/winter bar

Renmarkstorget and the placement of the proposed features

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Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

Calendar

To catch people’s interest, make them visit the market and to make first time visitors re-visit we wanted the market to feel alive. To do this we wanted activities and features that make people desired to return. To give inspiration of how the non permanent activities could work and collaborate we chose to create an event calendar to show how the structure of the activities on the market could look like.

The original proposal of the length of the market was four weeks. Our proposal is to start with having a two week market and hopefully it will be a success and can later on expand to four weeks. The event around the lightning of the two first advent candles will be before the market is open and will give an opportunity to promote and create expectations of the upcoming market.

UmeĂĽ C - Christmas market Designverkstad UmeĂĽ 2011

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Lightning

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Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

The main shopping street in Ume책 is in the winter lit up by white and blue light, light that often is associated with cold temperatures. To make the Christmas market area welcoming and to make it mediate a warm impression we decided that we wanted the market to have a warmer, yellow and orange, light.

The different light on the market would make the area, which crosses the main street, stand out from the rest. The yellow and orange light gives the feeling of warmth and fire and will thereby symbolize what we want the market to be: a warm and welcoming place.

Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

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Ume책 C - Christmas market Designverkstad Ume책 2011

05 Recommendations

The goal of the project was to come up with a proposal for a Christmas market in Umeå city centre. Because of the limited time we had we decided to focus on creating an overall concept of the market, features and activities that coul be developed connected to a theme and a vision rather than to look in to details at just a few features of the market.

The end result will hopefully give Umeå C a lot of new input and ideas of how to develop the Christmas market. This project will however just be the starting point of al the work that lie ahead to create a successful Christmas market, but the result from this project will hopefully help them get a shared image of what the vision of the market is so the upcoming work will go nice and smooth since everyone know what to aim for.

In the continued work process we think the most important thing is to not lose the overall concept, to al the time look back at chosen core values to make sure you wont lose the so important feeling of the market. We hope the material we provided can be used as inspiration and in the process of involving more people in the project can be used as an easy way to transmit the ideas of the market.

We all look forward to visit the market this winter and hopefully we´ll find that some of our ideas came into use.

Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

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06 Project team

Design Workshop in Umeå in 2011 consists of a project team where the core consists of six students from various courses at Umeå University. With the design process as a method the working team produce user-focused solutions to county businesses, organizations and municipalities. To help them, they have a professional industrial designer and a business coach.

The majority of students start their own business during the summer. Designverkstad is a collaboration between Design Västerbotten and Uminova Innovation.

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Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

Martin Edlund Industrial design

Maria Soledad Larrain Architecture

Karin Larsson Service Management

Erik Melldahl Ergonomic design och production

martinedlund83@gmail.com

msole7@gmail.com

karinkl@hotmail.com

erme0006@student.umu.se

Pavel Rueda Architekture

Sandra Valett Interaction and Design sandra.valett@gmail.com

Peter Sandström Project leader Designverkstad Design Västerbotten peter.sandstrom@almi.se

Annica Olsson Design Västerbotten

rueda.pavel@gmail.com

Per Sihlén Tutor, Industrial Designer PS Design per.sihlen@dh.umu.se

info@designvasterbotten.se

Umeå C - Christmas market Designverkstad Umeå 2011

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Designverkstad is an interdisciplinary team of six students from various courses at Umeå University who works with creative and conceptual tasks to six companies from the region. The core of the work is based on the design process as a tool to create competitive products and services.

The student team has this summer started their own company and worked on assignments as summer entrepreneurs. It is supported by the guidance of a professional industrial designer and an experienced business coach. Designverkstad is organized in collaboration between Design Västerbotten and Uminova Innovation.

Design Västerbotten identifies development opportunities, bring new ideas and contribute to attractive solutions based on your customer’s needs. Design is a strategic tool that illuminates the entire business of developing functional and profitable products and services. Our activities leaves room for exchanging experiences and creating knowledge, which strengthens the brand and increase competitiveness. Design Västerbotten is a part of ALMI North.

Umeå C is an organisation working with developing Umeå city centre to make it an enjoyable place to visit. Umeå C wanted Designverkstad to help them develop the concept of yearly repeated Christmas market that is supposed to be arranged at Renmarkstorget.

Design Västerbotten, Ö. Strandgatan 28 C, 901 87 Umeå, 090-10 07 92/93/77. Visiting address: Arkitekthögskolan 1 tr info@designvasterbotten.se www.designvasterbotten.se