HELSINKI, January 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --



Helsinki has started its year as World Design Capital 2012.  With it's year-long programme WDC Helsinki 2012 is one of the world's largest ever expeditions into design. During 2012 Helsinki, the capital of Finland, will explore the benefits and value of design, and showcase the ways it can improve our cities.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52815-wdch

WDC Helsinki 2012 started its year with New Year's Eve of Design on the 31st of December 2011. Approximately 30 000 people gathered to celebrate the beginning of the year in the heart of Helsinki. Next major event will be the World Design Capital Gala presenting the World Design Impact Prize as well as the Alvar Aalto Medal and the Estlander Prize.

The WDC Helsinki 2012 programme contains about 300 projects, all of them utilising or showcasing design in various ways. Half of the programme consists of various development projects in which design is used in an exceptionally broad extent. These projects deal with the themes 'Transforming the City' and 'Rethinking Design'.

Events geared toward citizens and tourists comprehend approximately one-third of all programme. They are collected under the themes 'Year of Events' and 'Exhibitions'. During the Design Capital year, design movers and shakers from all over the world will gather in Finland in various 'Encounters'. Design will also take center stage in various forms of 'Communications'.

The range of events is lively: something new begins almost every other day. There are more than 80 events in all in the WDC Helsinki 2012 programme for January-March.

The programme can be explored at the website and in the mobile application WDC 2012 that is easy to carry around all the time. The Programme Summary pdf file gives an idea of the whole programme and the Programme Highlights collects 30-something key projects.

The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 website offers news, columns and blogs about Finnish design. One can also get to know Finnish designers in special video portraits.

The World Design Capital is an initiative of ICSID, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, which every second year recognizes one global city for its accomplishments in utilizing design as a tool to improve social, cultural, and economic life.

For further information and listings visit wdchelsinki2012.fi.

Video: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52815-wdch

SOURCE World Design Capital Helsinki 2012