Summer School alum story: Nordic Product Design invites students to materialise their designs in new and unique ways

The updated implementation of the course for summer 2026 is called Nordic Design Futures.

Tommaso Astaldi is studying Product, Interior, Communication and Eco-Social Design at the University of Florence and attended the Nordic Product Design course by Aalto University Summer School in July 2024. With only one year left of his Bachelor’s studies, Tommaso wanted to enrich his academic experiences and curriculum by participating in a summer course in Northern Europe to experience new ways of learning.

Before we even begin our interview with Tommaso, he simply states that he loves Finland.

‘I specifically looked for a summer course in the Nordics after hearing great things about the learning methods. The Scandinavian approach to teaching is widely appreciated from where I come from in Italy. Adding this course to my CV will certainly open up opportunities for me in my future career and enhance my academic and intellectual development. I look forward to integrating the skills I acquire into my studies and my personal life,’ Tommaso says.

‘I have become familiar with Nordic product designers and their most famous projects, and have developed a fascination for the Nordic way of life, the Finnish way of life in particular, and the philosophy of Nordic design in general,’ Tommaso continues.

What was your favourite part of the Nordic Product Design course?

The course began with a theoretical exploration of Nordic design, emphasizing sustainability, functionalism, and design history. We quickly shifted focus to a more hands-on and practical method by starting to build our design from idea to final product. This was by far the most impressive part of the course for me, as building something with my hands is something I have never done during my studies at my home university before. Witnessing a design vision materialize so realistically was a unique experience, and I am excited to present it to the class!

I also really enjoyed the alternative and interactive ways of learning, such as through walks in nature, museum visits and workshops with my coursemates. 

The course truly widened my mind and gave me a fresh perspective, not only on the course topic itself, but thanks to the internationally diverse course group also on new cultures.

Did anything surprise you about Finland?

Coming from a very loud culture in Italy, I was prepared to experience a more quiet country. However, Finland was even more calm and peaceful than I expected. For example, grocery shopping in my home country always makes me extremely stressed, but here it felt relaxing.

Tommaso continued his travels in Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden together with his family immediately after the end of the course to get the most out of his Nordic experience.