What does the story of Finland’s northernmost historic wooden town look like as a product? What kind of object, textile, or functional item could convey the spirit, stories, and atmosphere of Old Town Raahe?

The City of Raahe and Visit Raahe invite creative professionals to join an exploratory journey into Old Town Raahe. The aim is to develop new, high-quality, commercially viable products that can be sold in the designers’ own brick-and-mortar and online stores and potentially included in the City of Raahe’s official corporate gift collection.

The design call is based on the newly completed Old Town Raahe brand and brand guidelines, which serve as the visual and conceptual foundation for product development. The excellent reception of the brand identity now encourages the creation of new products that carry the message of Old Town Raahe to the world in line with its values and the goals defined during the branding process.

We are looking for products that reflect the spirit, stories, landscapes, memories, and architecture of Old Town Raahe. Products must be suitable for series production, sustainably produced, and as local or Finnish-made as possible.

This is not a traditional competition but an open call for product design. Designers retain full copyright, as well as responsibility for production and sales. Visit Raahe and the City of Raahe will grant selected products the right to use the official Old Town Raahe label, offer visibility, and provide the opportunity to showcase products at Praati – The Living Room of Services and on the City of Raahe’s official Old Town Raahe product portfolio page.

The design call is open from x February to 31 April 2026.

How to Participate

Your Task

Design a product or product concept inspired by the history, stories, atmosphere, or visual world of Old Town Raahe.

The product does not need to be finished. A clearly described idea with a well-developed implementation plan is sufficient. You may submit a sketch, concept, prototype, images, or video.

The product may be, for example, a functional object, textile, interior item, accessory, pattern design, or other physical product. Use of the brand logo in the actual design is not mandatory — the spirit and story of the brand are more important. Selected products will receive the Old Town Raahe label as a mark of quality.

Draw inspiration from the core story, visual identity, colours, streets, architecture, buildings, and courtyards presented in the Old Town Raahe brand guidelines. You may also draw from historical stories, personal memories, and experiences connected to Raahe.

Who Is the Call For?

The call is particularly aimed at professionals and partners who have the capacity to bring an idea into actual production and/or commercial testing:

• entrepreneurs and small businesses with production capabilities or established sales channels
• designers, artisans, and artists capable of producing items in small-scale or series production
• educational institutions and student teams with the ability to create prototypes
• existing brands interested in developing a new Old Town Raahe product
• private individuals with a realistic production plan or production partner

We are also interested in tourism, museum, and gift retail operators who are interested in selling and distributing the products.

Choose a Product Category

Submit your entry via the application form by 31 April 2026.

Please include:

• a description of your product idea
• sketch / draft / images / video / prototype
• brief answers to the following questions:
  • Which story, place, or person from Old Town Raahe inspired your idea?
  • Who is the product intended for?
  • How and where will the product be manufactured?
  • How have ecological responsibility and sustainability been considered?
  • Estimated retail price and price category
  • Where could the product be sold?