Denmark is rockin' along

I apologize for this little overview of Denmark but I can't help myself, it's showing up everywhere.

My mother is Danish so I grew up speaking the language, spending summers there, attending summer camp, hanging out with my family and learning to have a great appreciation for the Danish pace of life, humor, beer and the emphasis they place on design(here and here).

Needless to say, I've been super jazzed to see little Denmark, with a population of just 5 million, pop up quite often recently. A method we learned in our Observing Users class was developed by Danes. Jakob Nielsen was here last week to speak during a lunchtime lecturette. A team of ID students recently got back from a research trip to Copenhagen. And I just found out another student has a Danish mother.

In the last two issues of BusinessWeek there have been stories involving Denmark – designers' power at Bang & Olufsen and the growth of small businesses in the Nordic countries.

I recently finished reading Clyde Prestowitz’s book, Three Billion New Capitalists (which is fantastic, eye-opening, and a call for arming yourself with unique skills), and in it he writes, “In view of American disdain for the welfare state, it is fascinating that in the World Economic Forum’s 2004 ranking of the most competitive countries, four were the Nordic countries of Europe, the ones with the biggest welfare states.”

And finally, according to various reports the last couple of years (here and here), Danes are generally super happy.

They happen to also have some great design strategy and innovation firms such as ReD Associates and Kontrapunkt.

I didn't even mention that great contribution to childhood, Lego. Overall Denmark is a pretty rockin' place. Fun to see it showing up. To paraphrase Field of Dreams, "Is this heaven? No, it's Denmark."

Jørn Utzon's little building in Australia

A Poul Henningsen lamp

Comments

[mvellandi]

Jag älskar Danmark! Var i Köpenhamn för Roskilde festival 1997.
(Swedish is my 3rd tongue)
Last time I was there in a small town called Koelling.
Wish I could go again soon

[Hans Elfelt Bonnesen]

Honestly I feel a little ashamed by all the niceties said about Denmark. Being born in that country, and living there since I entered this world 75 years ago I do understand a lot of the observations so generously scattered in the articles.

Apparently there is no end to the positive vibrations, and yet -- and yet.
Besides a large group of old and lousy apartments in the capital, some even without a toilet, there are numerous things which can upset you.
No,no – I am not complaining of the excessive high taxes (second in the world only to Sweden) and the fact that you have the highest prices (together with Greece) on new cars (you pay for three cars to get one) and shell out gladly US$ 7,60/gal. of gas.
No, I would would point to the climate.
There is a general saying: "Sane people should not be living north of the Alps" - and it is correct - indeed.
Here in November: Switch off the light at 11 am and switch it on again at 1 p.m. Add to that, months of cloudy and humid weather with icy winds. No snow to speak of (as in Sweden) - but THEN suddenly:
Two (2) weeks at the end of May, with balmy weather which surpasses anything in this world. All misery gone. Welcome to Denmark - then !!!

[Hans Elfelt Bonnesen]

Honestly I feel a little ashamed by all the niceties said about Denmark. Being born in that country, and living there since I entered this world 75 years ago I do understand a lot of the observations so generously scattered in the articles.

Apparently there is no end to the positive vibrations, and yet -- and yet.
Besides a large group of old and lousy apartments in the capital, some even without a toilet, there are numerous things which can upset you.
No,no – I am not complaining of the excessive high taxes (second in the world only to Sweden) and the fact that you have the highest prices (together with Greece) on new cars (you pay for three cars to get one) and shell out gladly US$ 7,60/gal. of gas.
No, I would would point to the climate.
There is a general saying: "Sane people should not be living north of the Alps" - and it is correct - indeed.
Here in November: Switch off the light at 11 am and switch it on again at 1 p.m. Add to that, months of cloudy and humid weather with icy winds. No snow to speak of (as in Sweden) - but THEN suddenly:
Two (2) weeks at the end of May, with balmy weather which surpasses anything in this world. All misery gone. Welcome to Denmark - then !!!