Nokia Design Archive display set for Finland

A Nokia Design Archive featuring more than 700 entries to take place digitally from Finland Credit:Shutterstock:POM POM

A Nokia Design Archive featuring more than 700 entries spanning the mid-90s to 2017, will go on display on January 15 directly from a digital portal from Finland’s Aalto University.

In a world marked by minimalism, sleekness and disposability, technology is getting smaller, thinner and there is a reinforced focus on ‘when its broken or outdated, get a new one.’ But if we take a journey back to the 90’s, we would be reading a very different page.

Beloved for their chunky, blocky design, Nokia cell phones captured the world for their shape and for marking a new age in technology. In fact, its safe to say that they have well and truly slipped into what could be termed collective cultural nostalgia, with anyone having once owned a Nokia phone recalling the quintessential mobile game “Snake”, the metallic ring tones and those gaudy clip-on covers. Mobiles have advanced and on an exponential scale, yet try throw a newer model from 2024 to the ground and let’s see what happens.

Nokia phones shaped the way we see technology today

Nokias were certainly infallible and indestructible and they are making a come back in this fitting tribute to the landmark model. Lu Chen, a researcher at Aalto University was happy to share the reasoning behind the display saying: “We seem to be at a pivotal time again as artificial intelligence is accelerating our transitions to the future world. With all the excitement and uncertainty, the Nokia Design Archive reveals a unique ‘behind-the-scenes’ view for us to see how the technology that’s in our lives now was shaped in the past.”

Contrary to popular belief, Nokia didn’t originate with the development of brick-like phones, however. Readers will be surprised to discover that it was founded in 1865 as a paper pulp mill, which skipped ahead lightyears to become an electronics division in 1967 before grand slamming with its first mobile phone in 1987: The Mobira Cityman 900 (anyone remember this one?).

“Nokia was in similar position in the 90s as Samsung or Apple are today”

Nokia gradually rose to fame through the 90’s as one of the most dominant mobile phone manufacturers, gracing many a school bag, pocket or ear for that matter with its quirky design. The Nokia 2110 was released in 1994 boasting the infamous Nokia ringtone, heard a whopping 1.8 billion times per day (20,000 times per second) worldwide.

This was followed by the iconic brick house Nokia 3310, so indestructible in fact that it inspired the sport of mobile phone throwing. Nokia was indeed inspirational, ubiquitous and totally cool. Researcher, Kaisu Savola said: “Nokia was in a similar position in the 90s as Samsung or Apple are today. These large corporations shape our lives with their products.”

Nokia got lost amid a new wave of smartphones around 2016 but is now facing a promising future as people return to buying dumb phones in a plight to end excessive screen time. The old brick-like phones do not have the technology to harness the likes of Instagram or X and so are ideal for those wishing to disconnect.

The Nokia online exhibition shows growth is in the pipeline – its 20,000 items will continue to accumulate and paint a picture of the zeitgeist of the late 20^th century, which as lead researcher Anna Valtonen says is important, “especially in these times of change.”