Competition for ideas
The idea competition was very popular
In August-November 2023, we organised a competition together with the Ornamo ry to find ideas for the visual appearance of future trains. The competition was a way to find a way to make the visual identity of the trains more in line with our renewed brand. The idea competition attracted a lot of interest and we received a gratifyingly high number of entries as well as votes in the public vote. We would like to warmly thank all the designers who participated in the competition!
The jury selected 10 finalists from 186 entries. The jury's assessment focused on the usability of the idea and the potential for further development, as the criteria for judging the competition were demanding and it proved very challenging to meet them perfectly. In the end, Aimo Katajamäki's proposal Green Steam was selected as the winner of the competition and you can read more about the evaluation below. You can also see the 2nd place entry, Vuodenajat raiteilla (Seasons on the Tracks), and the public favourite, Suomen Metsä (Finnish Forest).
The outcome of the competition
Read the evaluation of the winning entry Green Steam.
Green Steam is a distinctive and brand-renewing work of art that will last well into the future.
The jury found particular merit in the winning work in terms of iconicity, storytelling and boldness. In addition, the work is easily scalable to all train carriages and was seen to fit alongside the existing exterior design during the long renovation phase. The soft shapes sit well in the environment, both in the city and in nature. The simple, strong lines stand out even in challenging lighting and weather conditions.
With potential competitors entering the rail industry in the future, the distinctive and bold design of the winning design was of particular importance. It has the potential to create an iconic solution that will carry VR well into the future, one that exudes progressiveness and self-confidence. The timeless line pattern of the proposal draws on the Scandinavian design tradition, with its strong emphasis on free lines and organic shapes. At its best, the winning design positions VR as a market leader in the new competitive landscape of the future.
Although the organic brush-drawn shapes are a new addition to VR's look, the proposal is subtly aligned with the current look. The ratio of white and green is familiar from VR's current brand image. The visual elements can be applied to different train types as well as to interesting branding and brand communication.
The shortcomings highlighted by the jury include the lack of guidance and the lack of separation between short and long-distance trains. The idea competition sought a proposal for further development, and the jury considers that these shortcomings could easily be remedied in further development.
The winning idea of an organic line pattern that curls like steam is a bold, forward-looking and versatile concept that, with a little fine-tuning, will give VR's trains a credible and long-lasting appearance.
Green Steam was designed by graphic designer and artist Aimo Katajamäki, who describes his work as follows: "Green Steam draws inspiration from the history of train travel and the days of steam trains. Over the decades, black coal has been replaced by green electricity, and now the organic, gently floating pattern combines VR's long history with the future of train travel."
The winning entry was awarded a prize of € 30 000. The winning design is to be taped onto a train in 2024.
The winning proposal Green Steam
2nd place and the winner of the public vote
TBWA Helsinki's proposal Vuodenajat Raiteilla (Seasons on the Tracks) came in 2nd place in the overall competition. The team consisted of Mikael Kivelä, Umberto Onza, Laura Paikkari, Laura Ullmann and Joona Stedt.
The public also had the chance to vote for their favourite of the 10 finalists. The winner of the public vote was Aalto University student Polina Rogova's work Suomen Metsä (The Finnish Forest), which received about a quarter of the votes.
According to the jury, "Seasons on the Tracks" is a delicate and beautiful piece of work. Its graphic design and integrity fit into the Finnish landscape and the brand.
However, the jury was not entirely convinced of the functionality or the potential of the aurora borealis as an iconic design.
"I wanted to find a solution that would work well both in the city and in the natural landscape. The solution is simple; it is a forest pattern that completely covers the train. To balance the details of the forest with the scale of the train, I used the VR logo as a unifying element," says Rogova.
General information about the competition
The competition has ended, so the full text of the assignment is no longer available.
Competition organiser
The competition is organised by VR Group Plc. The core businesses of our company are passenger services in Finland and Sweden, and freight traffic in Finland. We serve both consumers and corporate customers.
We are Getting there together for a better world – this is our vision and the purpose of our operations. At VR, we are at the forefront of creating the future of sustainable mobility for the benefit of society as a whole.
We make sure that people and goods reach their goals responsibly, every day. We offer the safest and most environmentally friendly transport services. Our comprehensive and accessible services are for everyone. When we make smooth journeys possible and act as a pillar of support for industry, we keep society moving and increase well-being.
By increasing the popularity of electric rail and city traffic, we reduce the emissions of our customers and the society as a whole. This way, we are moving towards a carbon-neutral future and participating in the mitigation of climate change. The better we succeed, the more society benefits – through growth, our operations will have a bigger impact. That is why we do our best each day and aim for the top in all of our operations.
We draw from our fine 160-year history and use our solid experience to accelerate responsible mobility in the future. We are ready to develop and renew constantly, while also listening to our customers.
We move towards our vision by executing a strategy that focuses on three goals:
- Happy customers bring growth
- Efficiency enables a profitable future
- Committed people create success
Official information of the organiser of the competition:
VR-Group Plc
Business ID: 1003521-5
Address: PO Box 488, FI-00096 VR, Finland
Visiting address: Radiokatu 3, FI-00240 Helsinki, Finland
The competition programme and rules have been drawn up in cooperation with Ornamo Art and Design Finland.
Ornamo Art and Design Finland
Business ID: 0202422-5
Annankatu 16 B 35–36, FI-00120 Helsinki, Finland
Ornamo is Finland's largest multidisciplinary design community, which increases the value of designers' work in society and supports designers in their work. Ornamo, founded in 1911, has 3 000 members. www.ornamo.fi
Schedule and phases of the competition
The competition is a one-stage design competition and it is open to design professionals and students as well as working groups composed of them.
The competition period is from 23 August to 20 November 2023. The competition was announced on the competition website on 23 August and the winner will be announced in December 2023.
All materials for the competition can be found on this website.
Submission of entries
The proposals are submitted as PDF files by email to junienulkoasu@vr.fi. In the email, please state your full name, contact information (email, telephone number and postal address) and the name of the competition entry. If the proposal is submitted by a working group, all the authors must be mentioned by name, but the contact information of one of the authors is sufficient. The name of the competition entry must have at least 10 characters.
The maximum size of the entry submitted as an attachment is 20 MB. If the size of the PDF file exceeds this, the WeTransfer, Opens in a new tab service, for example, must be used for submitting it, with a link leading to the file attached to the email body text.
The competition entries must be submitted by 23:59 on 20 November 2023 at the latest. Late entries will not be considered. If the author of the entry uses the WeTransfer service, the link must be sent to us before the deadline and the materials need to be downloadable for at least 7 days.
The competition is anonymous, which means that the identity of the competitors is not known to the jury until the final winners have been selected. Therefore, only the name of the entry should be displayed in the competition entry itself (PDF file).
The entries will be evaluated exclusively on the basis of the materials submitted in the manner described.
The content of competition entries
The competition entry must consist of three pages and with print quality sufficient for A1 size. For this purpose, the competition site has downloadable files that must be used for the entry.
The entry must include an explanatory text with the maximum length of a total of 3,000 characters.
The entry is to be submitted as follows:
- Page 1. Side views for Intercity and SmX trains.
- Page 2. Photo-based visualisations of both train types (SmX commuter train and the cervice car of the Intercity train).
- Page 3. Explanatory text, maximum length 3,000 characters.
In order to make a proposal, the contestants can upload a line drawing file of the side view of each train and photos for the image fitting.
Download materials for your entry here.
You can find a drawing of the main dimensions of SmX and Intercity trains in the section VR's services and rolling stock.
The assessment of proposals will be based on the following criteria:
1. Appearance
Visual quality and aesthetics
The layout, visual design and use of colours of the entry is elegant and of high quality and has the potential for becoming iconic. The drivers of the brand, such as environmental friendliness, pleasantness, reliability and easy approachability, have been taken into account in the design, and the look is timeless. Creative application of the appearance.
Trains as part of the environment
The design takes into account the view from near and far.
Understanding the scale and characteristics of the means of transport: design that takes into account the size, shape and materials of the train, as well as the nature of rail traffic. The functionality of the idea in motion and harmony in relation to built and natural environments, different seasons and different weather and lighting conditions.
Scalability
The entry shows how the idea is visually harmonious and scales to double-decker Intercity cars as well as different types of train compositions and integrated single-decker commuter trains and Pendolino trains. In addition, the appearance works in both old and completely new rolling stock.
Brand recognition and distinctiveness
The train can be recognised as a VR train. The design takes into account the long life cycle of the appearance of the trains, and the fact that the new and old look will be visible in the view at the same time.
2. Service experience
Compatibility
The role of the train appearance as part of other contact points of the service, such as VR ticket offices, staff uniforms, digital channels such as VR Matkalla, the website etc.
Guidance and accessibility
What kinds of elements can be used to improve guidance and accessibility, such as the service carriage of a long-distance train standing out from the rest of the train.
Trends, proactive measures and the future
Additionally, we value a vision of future train travel. The proposal may reveal consideration of various societal perspectives: environmental frendliness, internationality and diversity etc.
The total amount of the prize is EUR 30,000.
One Grand Prize winner will be selected in the competition. The jury may also issue honorary mentions and, by unanimous decision, also decide to distribute the prize money in a different way.
The competition is aimed at design professionals and students. Competition entries can also be submitted together as pairs or working groups. If there are several participants, it should be agreed in advance how any prizes will be divided between the working group.
Actions after the competition
The winning proposal will be added as a decal to a long-distance pilot car to help us collect passenger feedback.
It is possible that the cooperation with the winner will also continue after the competition; this will be agreed separately after the competition.
Deviating from Ornamo's normal competition rules, all intellectual property rights of the competition proposal awarded in the competition are transferred to VR. The transfer of intellectual property rights to VR is appropriate and justified in this competition, as the competition proposal will be applied and modified to various train and train car types in the coming years and decades. In addition, the competition prize is designed to reasonably compensate for the transfer of intellectual property rights. More detailed information on the transfer of intellectual property rights can be found in section 8 of the rules.
Competition ombudsman
Joona Huovinen, Sourcing manager
email: junienulkoasu@vr.fi
Jury
The winner of the competition is decided by the jury, which consists of representatives from VR as well as design professionals appointed by Ornamo.
VR:n edustus
Elisa Markula, CEO
Minna Lampinen, Head of brand and marketing
Mari Siikonen, Design Lead, service designer
Niko Hakala, Conductor
Members appointed by Ornamon:
Petteri Kolinen, Leading consultant, strategic design
Timo Berry, Creative director and CEO