Small makes your web applications
and communication more appealing,
understandable & efficient.

User interface design

Small helps you to transform your visions into digital applications that look good and work good. We help you with the overall concept and design how the content is arranged, how the application looks like and how users can interact with it.

We work by utilizing user scenarios, sketches and
rapid prototyping. We also help you to transition the plans
into real life by delivering guideline documentation and assisting
on the front-end development. Our insight on technology will ensure
fluent communication with your developers.

Services

- Usability reviews
- Concept design
- Interaction design
- Visual interface design
- Rapid prototyping
- Front-end production

    Examples

  • New product or service

    You are developing a new application or service. Small can help you to shape the concept and verify the design ideas by building interactive prototypes. We make sure the user interface is ergonomic and looks good. Small can also help creating the visual identity around the application, or keep it in par with your existing one.

  • Facelift

    You are developing a new version of existing application and think that the user interface needs a renovation. Small will reinforce your development team and offer a visual perspective during the process. We will analyse the existing user interface thoroughly, find new approaches for existing problem areas and enhance the visual appearance of the application.

  • Light facelift / end-client customization

    You need a rapid and low cost enhancement on the visual appearance of your application. Small can work at the surface level (CSS) only and still gain a major impact on the overall appearance. The approach requires almost zero work from your developers. The same approach also works when your client wants a customized interface for your software.

Small has designed
user interfaces for

- Portals, websites and intra/extranets
- Mobile (web, Android, iPhone, iPad)
- Windows applications
- Integrated industry systems
- eLearning
- Content management systems
- Financial front office solutions
- Business intelligence and CRM systems


   See also:

Visual communication

Visual communication helps people to understand you. Small can make your messages visible. We help you to communicate your values through visual identity or chrystallize complex technical information into images. We are used to work with both digital and print media.

Position your company

Belong to the group but stand out. Small designs visual identity systems that are strong, consistent and applicable. We have a lot of experience from both; designing and using identity guidelines. And we know how to apply the identity into the software products as well.

Make things clear

Infographics and interactive eLearning material help you to communicate complex things efficiently - if they are made well. We have helped various companies to better communicate their products, processes and software architecture using static and interactive visuals. Our own eLearning-project KayakPaddling.net has won various domestic and international awards.



   See also:

Nettiauto.com - mobile

Finland's most popular car classified portal took a strong positions in mobile world by launching native iPhone App and new mobile website. Small took care of both projects from concepting phase to specifications and interface visuals. Both products have had great reviews from start and iPhone app topped among Top-3 most loaded apps in Finland. Small helps Nettiauto.com and sister sites to improve their regular websites aswell. m.nettiauto.com / iPhone App

User interface / Visual interface
Information architecture & labelling

Lastesuojelu.info

The Central Union for Child Welfare in Finland needed an easy to use multilingual website for immigrant parents and social workers. Small helped shaping the overall concept, designed user interface and took care of front-end production. The website contains animated stories and users with reading disabilities can listen the content in their own language. Lastensuojelu.info

Concept / User Interface / Visual interface / Animation /
Front-end production / Illustrations by Johanna Uhrman

Sensorfit

Sensorfit is an Android mobile application that helps you to get fit and stay fit by tracking your calory consumption. Small designed visual identity and user interface visuals, including logotype, app icons and website visuals. See more at www.sensorfit.com/

Visual interface / Logotype & app icon /
User interface consulting

KayakPaddling.net

Kayakpaddling.net is an award winning online paddling guide. It combines detailed 3D animation, infographics and simple user interface into a website that sets the new standard for teaching sports on the web. Because of the huge success, it has been translated into thirteen languages by volunteers and is widely used at paddling clubs around the world. KayakPaddling.net is fully designed and developed by Small.

Concept / User Interface / Visual interface /
Animation and graphics / Development (Flash/XML)

Profit Software

Profit Software offers a suite of web-based software products for insurers, banks and financing companies. Small created the visual identity and art directed majority of the communications material for several years, as well as helped Profit to produce UI guidelines for their products. All of the Profit's annual reports are also designed by Small. Done at Codesign Oy.

Visual identity / Communications material / Annual reports /
Infographics / User Interface / Visual interface

Codesigner

Codesign's Codesigner platform enables centralized management for various websites and information systems. Codesigner's user interface is often regarded as one of the most user friendly and intuitive in the industry. For several years, Small has been part of Codesign's core design team, with focus on visual identity, user experience and communications material.

Visual identity / Communications material /
User interface / Visual interface & Icons /

Global Intelligence Alliance

GIA is a strategic market intelligence and advisory group with global presence. Small was in a key role in designing the visual identity and communications material, as well as designing the user interface for their Intelligence Plaza™ software. Small has also often helped GIA to adjust the Plaza's visual interface to fit the end-clients' brands. Done at Codesign Oy.

Art Direction / Visual identity / Visual interface & Icons /
Communications material / Infographics /

Finnish Defence Forces

Finnish Defence Forces is one of the biggest employers in Finland. Add in roughly 30 000 conscripts a year, it is clear that the need for internal social services is real. While the service has been there for a long time, the people were not aware of it's existance and purpose. Small designed visual identity and comunications material for Military Social Services to raise the awareness.

Visual identity / Communications material

Miscellaneous works

During the past 10+ years, Small has designed user interfaces, visual identities and communications material for a wide spectrum of clients, ranging from startups and individual politicians to leading companies from Fortune 500 and Finnish Top 20. Many of the user interface design projects are confidential.

User Interfaces / Visual identities / Communications material

Selected work  

Small has worked with a wide spectrum of organizations. Some of the projects are confidential.

FINANCE & CONSULTING:  FIM,  GIA,  OP-Pohjola,  Salminen & Tikka,  Wiemayer

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:  Codesign,  Crasman,  LeanWare,  Neagen,  Profit Software,  ReSys,  Sanako,  Sensorfit

INDUSTRY & SERVICES:  AJ-Tools,  KONE,  Mäntsälän Sähkö,  Robit Rocktools,  Proffice, 

MEDIA:  Bonnier Sweden,  Kynämies,  Nettiauto.com,  OceanPaddler,  Otavamedia,  WSOY

ORGANIZATIONS:  Efsli,  ERTO,  Etry,  Heidi Hautala,  Lastensuojelun Keskusliitto,  MLL,  Tietoalan Toimihenkilöt,  Ystea,   Viesti

PUBLIC SECTOR:  Finnish Defence Forces,  Mäntsälä,  University of Helsinki,  Äänekoski

About Small.

General facts

Small Creative is an award winning Helsinki-based design studio. Small is focused on designing visual communication and user interfaces for digital applications.

From the core, Small is a one man powerhouse of Niko Hakkarainen, but partners often with experts from other disciplines. He has over ten years of design experience as a freelancer and plenty of insight from IT industry as a former Creative director / partner at Codesign. See full resume at LinkedIn.

Way of working

Our business is to make things easier for everyone. We use the mixture of creativity, knowledge and discipline to give a visual form to your messages.

Small can lead the design process or work as a reinforcement on your team. Collaboration is fluent, since we work without intervening account management. We are results orientated and favor agility and rapid prototyping over heavy processes. This means that the goal is reached on time, and in an economical way.

Small differences

Small is an internal growth company. During the years we have helped a fair deal of clients to make it big. We however, like being small, but grow by learning to make things better everyday.

We spent a big part of our time experimenting, reading and observing the industry. This allows us to be responsive and deliver better results. That means quality over quantity in every way.

Small Creative

Porvoonkatu 20 B 25
00510 Helsinki
Finland

Niko Hakkarainen
Creative director
Tel. +358 40 721 2594 (GMT+2)
REMOVEnikoREMOVE@small.fi