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

User interface design

Small helps you to transform your visions into web 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.

  • Production

    And you need it done? Small can easen your developers workload by taking care of HTML/CSS/JavaScript and Flash/XML development.

Small has designed
user interfaces for

- Websites, intra/extranets and blogs
- Integrated industry systems
- eLearning
- Flash websites and applications
- Content management systems
- Financial front office solutions
- Market intelligence portals
- Quotation management 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 for example a lot of experience from helping IT related businesses to shine, so we know what works also in digital media and 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:

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 / Interaction / 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 has 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 / Interaction / 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 /
Interaction / Visual interface & Icons /

Global Intelligence Alliance

GIA is a strategic market intelligence and advisory group with global presence. Small has been 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 small businesses 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,  Global Intelligence Alliance,  OP-Pohjola,
Salminen & Tikka,  Wiemayer

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Codesign,  LeanWare,  Profit Software,  ReSys

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

MEDIA
Bonnier Sweden,  OceanPaddler,  Otavamedia,  WSOY

ORGANIZATIONS
Efsli,  ERTO,  Etry,  Finnish Circus Information Centre,
Heidi Hautala,  Lastensuojelun Keskusliitto,  MLL,  Tietoalan Toimihenkilöt,  Ystea

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

About Small.

General facts

Small Creative is an award winning Helsinki based design studio.

Small is focused on designing and producing visual communication and user interfaces for web 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

Vaasankatu 18 B 24
00500 Helsinki
Finland

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