Our strategy

Radical creativity

Radical creativity is one of the three cross-cutting approaches in our living strategy.
Radical creativity illustration: Anna Muchenikova

The world is changing at a pace like never before. Our focus of development is to build an outstanding creative community for new thinking. The actions we need to take to reach this include empowering an experimental culture by building the spaces and practices that encourage us to break boundaries and create novel perspectives. 

Radical creativity is one of the three cross-cutting approaches in our living strategy. Over the next years, we will invest in developing creative mindsets, capabilities, processes and spaces that support radical creativity.

Subscribe to Aalto's Radical Creativity newsletter

The other cross-cutting approaches

Solutions for sustainability

Entrepreneurial mindset

People in charge of Radical Creativity

Our plan: Radical creativity

Explore our strategic plans for 2021–2024. (requires an Aalto-login)

Radical Creativity

There is no set recipe for changing the world. It takes courage and grit to boldly create something new without fearing failure.

Explore radical creativity
Distorted reflection of two people outside at Otaniemi campus

News about radical creativity

A crowd of people gathering to the theatre lobby after seeing the Radical Creatives documentary
Cooperation Published:

Inspiring encounters in the US with alumni and friends highlighting radical creativity

Inspiring encounters in the US: alumni and friends are important in fostering collaboration and radical creativity
In the film Radical Creatives, creativity is found by diving below the surface. Photo: Hayley Lê
Press releases Published:

Making creativity happen: new documentary shows how to foster a creative mindset

Companies and organisations can arrange screenings to encourage creativity and experimentation
White coffee cup with Space 21 logo, space's common room on the background.
Campus, University Published:

Space 21 monthly morning coffees in Spring 2024

Start your day with the best coffee on campus in the living room of radical creativity. The entire Aalto community is invited – check the schedule for Spring 2024 below.
Different materials photo by Eeva Suorlahti
Studies Published:

Foresight aims to understand human behaviour and improve the world

The topic will soon be available for study as part of the lifewide learning offering.

We need radical creativity

Tuomas Auvinen

Tuomas Auvinen: Radical creativity as culture

Creativity is experimenting, and therefore a valuable skill for us all to master in a constantly changing and complex world. Radical creativity does not appear overnight, but we can build capabilities for it, says Dean Tuomas Auvinen.

News
Provost Kristiina Mäkelä. Photo: Jaakko Kahilaniemi

Radical creativity empowers new thinking

Aalto aims to take an internationally leading position concerning radical creativity and its leadership.

News
Christian Guckelsberger in front of graffiti

Teaching creativity to computers - Christian Guckelsberger wants to equip AI with the motivation to discover the unexpected

Research on computational intrinsic motivation could answer some fundamental questions about the nature of creativity, but also improve household robotics or even self-driving cars

News
Riikka Mäkikoskela

Riikka Mäkikoskela, Doctor of Arts, appointed as Head of Radical Creativity

Creativity is an important capability as we spark the game changers of tomorrow, and renew our society. A culture of radical creativity supports learning from exploration, experimentation and failure.

News
Maria Joutsenvirta

Theory U - How to lead from the future while it emerges?

Creative people, like artists and scientists, invent and create the new by stepping from the visible world into the invisible world of imagination, and then returning back into the visible. We all can develop our sensitivity, intuition and leadership capabilities to increase creativity.

News
Professors Maarit Mäkelä and Jussi Leveinen at the Aalto ceramics workshop developing a clay-based alternative to concrete. Photo: Hayley Le

Imagining alternative futures with creativity

Creativity is a buzzword – but what does it mean?

News

It may start from a crazy idea - dare to fail!

Aalto innovations present at Flow Festival, photo by Samuli Pentti

Radical creativity sparks discoveries

An idea that may sound crazy at first can be the key to solving significant challenges. Aalto University provides a favourable environment for daring initiatives that can lead to the discovery of some genuinely novel solutions.

Give for the future
Kuvassa Pasi Herranen, Orvokki Ihalainen ja Panu Miettinen

Anything but an ordinary greenhouse

A wood-structured windowless greenhouse consumes only half as much energy as a traditional glass greenhouse. In addition to producing food, Pasi Herranen’s invention could generate electricity and excess heat in the future.

News
Valokuvassa on kaksi talitiaista oksalla, toinen lintu seisoo toisen päällä. Kuva: Sanna Kannisto.

Try, fail, try again, fail better

Failure is an unavoidable part of life, but does failure have to be all bad? How about failing upwards and forwards?

News
Professori Adam Foster pitelee kättään pään takana ja katselee hymyillen yläviistoon.

Oops! Failure to launch

As a student, Professor Adam Foster dreamed of studying the stars, but an over-running holiday interrupted the countdown.

News
Professori Nitin Sawhney istumassa rannalla, kuva: Veera Konsti

Everyday choices: Nitin Sawhney, how do we cooperate in times of crisis?

Professor of Practice Sawhney examines the role of technology and cooperation in crisis using transdisciplinary human-centered design practices.

News
Henkilökuvassa Riikka Mäkikoskela katsoo kameraan, kädet ovat kohotettuina kämmenet ylöspäin, hänellä on yllään keltainen pellavapaita.

Oops: A circular economy workshop abuzzed activity and ejected personal biases

Head of Radical Creativity Riikka Mäkikoskela witnessed the power of creativity while leading a workshop.

News
designtalks_banner.jpg

Good design benefits us all – welcome to open DesignTalks lecture series

Join us for our open lecture series discussing about the relevance of design in different contexts.

News
Professor of practice Tua Björklund. Photo: Mortti Saarnia

‘The low hierarchy and open labs of Aalto build a foundation for our community, as we’ve seen through the number of patents, ventures and initiatives not only from our staff but students, too.’ 

Tua Björklund  
Professor of Practice, Design Factory 
School of Engineering 

Our scholars' takes on radical creativity

Aalto-yliopisto, Otaniemi stories: Jaan Praks, apulaisprofessori, radiotieteen ja -tekniikan laitos / Kuvaaja: Sinikoski

Radical creativity – it’s a gamble

The first Finnish satellite was a creative and very risky project.

News
Julia Lohmann and Department of Seaweed. Photo: Mikko Raskinen

From not knowing to new knowledge via imagining

Julia Lohmann considers design a bridge-building discipline that enables collaboration and communication across disciplines.

News
Associate professor Elisa Mekler. Photo: Matti Ahlgren

Contributing to a better future with creativity

Radical creativity is my elixir, it motivates and revitalises my interest in research and the world at large, says assistant professor Elisa Mekler.

News
man standing in a storage in front of the window, wearing a white laboratory coat, smiling

Mixing people

Mixing people with different backgrounds is a nutrient for creativity, says professor Tapani Vuorinen.

News
Professor of Practice Niina Nurmi Photo: Jaakko Kahilaniemi

Shaking up the status quo

Leading creativity can be paradoxical because it often includes destruction, uncertainty, and conflicts, says professor of practice Niina Nurmi.

News
Henri Weijo Aalto

A virtue of the Nordic system

Henri Weijo focuses on what creativity is and how it can benefit both individuals and society as a whole.

News
a man smiling, wearing a dark red pullover

Designing smart digital worlds

We benefit from online learning approaches that bravely cut across all schools at Aalto University, says Tomi Kauppinen.

News
Professor of practice Lauri Järvilehto. Photo: Mikko Raskinen

Fuel for entrepreneurship

Professor of Practice Lauri Järvilehto says that radical creativity is an important part of entrepreneurship.

News
Professor of practice Tua Björklund. Photo: Mortti Saarnia

To experiment and explore

Curiosity breeds creativity says professor of practice Tua Björklund.

News

What is creative pedagogy?

Creativity is a continuous possibility to think and act differently.

Juuso Tervo (picture by Tuuli Saarelainen)

Creative pedagogy

Creativity is a continuous possibility to think and act differently.

News
A woman talking by the table, a tv screen nearby showing what the topic is

The next steps in developing creative pedagogy

Aalto University’s new strategy encourages us to spark dialogue, build understanding, and boost creativity in the different fields of pedagogy.

News
red color making sliding shapes on blue background

Learning to unlearn: What could radically creative education be?

Juuso Tervo is urging us not only to learn new things, but also to unlearn the already learned.

News
Colorful Made in Aalto University -t-shirts hanging at Aalto University Shop's wall

Design Inside brings design education to all Aalto students

Design offers tools and new perspectives that would not be found otherwise. . It can help make a difference in every field. That is why Aalto University wants all students to have access to design education.

News
U-CREATE 2020: Creativity amid Crisis. Graphic Design by Heini Hälinen

U-Create 2020: Creativity amid Crisis

U-Create 2020 will be organised as an online event and invites keynotes from Aalto University professors and international researchers on the topic of Creativity amid Crisis.

Research & Art

Creativity Unfolded

Aalto University’s blog series Creativity Unfolded focuses on insights linked to creativity in a multitude of ways. Topics include design, technology, media, architecture, film, games, art theory and more. Read and join the conversation.

Read more
Creativity Unfolded_blogi_visu_Milja Komulainen

Unfolded

Aalto University UNFOLDED magazine focuses on contemporary issues dealing with creativity, experimentation, and transdisciplinary co-creation.

Read more
Unfolded_logo

News related to arts and creative practices

Saban Ramadani, Photo by Hayley Le
Studies Published:

Saban Ramadani: Is it radical to create a rocket in a week?

‘When you are expected to come up with something quickly, for instance, in visual arts, is the purpose itself lost in the creative process? Is it radical to create a rocket in a week?’
Kirsi Peltonen & Taneli Luotoniemi (Eds.): Shapes in Action
Research & Art Published:

Explorations in the realms of mathematics, art, design and architecture

Shapes in Action is a book for all those interested in interdisciplinary research and education.
Photo of students sitting in a lecture hall and drawing abstract portraits. The photo is surrounded by a blue frame.
Studies Published:

Sign up now for Art, Life and Entrepreneurship 1 course starting in period II

Find your path in the crossroads of art and entrepreneurship.
Konsta Klemetti happened to have a friend's silly and good-humoured dog in his care on the day of the photo shoot. Photo by Zina Marpegan.
Studies Published:

Konsta Klemetti: Creative artistic thinking and finding surprising perspectives are ingrained in me

'It has been fun and enlightening to discover that there is a tribe, i.e., like-minded people at Aalto. Everyone accepts an idea, no matter how crazy it is. The culture is open-minded and accepting in a fun way.'
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