Nokia's Design Legacy: Unveiling the Iconic Archive Celebrating Pop Culture

Remembering Nokia

“Everyone remembers their first Nokia,” says Mark Mason, who joined the telecoms company’s design team during its 1990s heyday. In 1998, Nokia was the bestselling phone brand globally, capturing 40% of the world market and 70% in the UK.

A Cultural Impact Recognized

This cultural significance will be properly celebrated in January when Nokia’s design archive goes on display at Aalto University in Finland, along with an online curated portal. The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy reports that Nokia contributed a quarter of Finland’s economic growth between 1998 and 2007.

Pioneering Design

“Nokia was one of the first phone companies to emphasize design and difference,” explains Jonathan Bell, tech editor for Wallpaper magazine. The factory ringtone of Nokia, the 1902 Gran Vals by Francisco Tárrega, became so popular that birds learned to sing it, heard 1.8 billion times daily in 2009 alone.

Iconic Handsets

The Nokia 8110, known as the banana phone, gained fame in The Matrix (1999), while the Nokia 3210 revolutionized mobile customization with its colorful changeable casing. Nokia was also the first to support SMS texting, making them a hit among youth.

A Creative Era

Mason, a former Nokia employee, recalls, “Our mantra was ‘human technology’ and Nokia’s slogan was ‘Connecting people’. Everything we did was around that.” The archive includes marketing imagery, sketches, and presentations, offering insights into Nokia's innovative past.

A Bittersweet Legacy

Despite its success, Nokia's decline began after 2007, largely due to complacency against the rise of touchscreen smartphones like the iPhone. From that point, Nokia's market value plummeted by 90%, leading to its mobile division's acquisition by Microsoft in 2013.

Nostalgia and Future Inspiration

The archive offers a nostalgic glimpse into a time when technology was viewed positively. Today, old Nokia phones resonate with a new generation seeking to limit social media exposure. Nokia handsets are back in production since 2016, and Anna Valtonen, the lead researcher on the archive, hopes the materials will inspire future innovation.

Mason adds, “I hope people dig their old handset out the drawer – they would probably still work. Cut me and I’ll bleed pure blue Nokia blood.”