Summer School alum Suvi: “Successful brands don’t just wing it”

We spoke with Summer School alum Suvi Valtonen-Kim, a Korean-Finnish design student in her senior year, who grew up in Hong Kong and is now based in Korea. She took part in this summer’s Designing Brand Strategy course at Aalto University Summer School, and returns to her Finnish roots every summer to visit her grandparents in Turku, Finland. Her summers in Finland gave her a taste for the country, making it easy to choose the location for her summer school studies. 

‘Summer School at Aalto University was the ideal option for exploring the country from a new Finnish city,’ says Suvi. 

What motivated you to apply for this course and Aalto University Summer School? 

I had never properly lived in Finland, and wanted to gain new experiences before graduating from university to see whether this might be a place I could imagine myself living in the future. 

What were your goals or expectations before arriving?  

The calm and slower pace of life in Finland really resonates with me, and I truly experienced it during my trip here.  

I’ve also noticed that the work-life balance is quite different – in Korea, life tends to be very fast-paced and “go-go-go", whereas in here, people seem to lead a more relaxed and balanced lifestyle. That’s something I personally value and appreciate a lot.  

What stood out to you about the Designing Brand Strategy course? 

The course was much more in-depth than I thought. While I thought the coursework would be more focused on digital, our teachers encouraged us to create physical products, making everything more concrete and collaborative.  

After focusing so much on the design part in my studies, this course taught me that data and research also play a huge part in branding and rebranding strategies. 

The learning environment was hands-on and discussion-based, yet very open and casual. A jury of marketing and advertising professionals evaluated every student's project during the final presentations on the last day, making the experience as realistic and experience-based as possible. 

What advice would you give to someone considering the program?  

Just apply! Take the opportunity to participate in social activities, both those organised by Summer School and the more spontaneous ones with your classmates – it will make the experience even richer.  

What do your future plans look like?  

I will take this experience with me and explore Finland as a relocation option for the future. The closeness to nature and the slower lifestyle have really taught me one thing – it's okay not to be so hasty all the time.