Stockholm-based interior designer Viktor Erlandsson: “Inefficient small-scale production can sometimes be more resource-intensive than a well-run industrial setup elsewhere.”
With Stockholm Design Days approaching, the Swedish capital is once again set to welcome architects, buyers, media, and industry players to meet leading names in Scandinavian design. Many of them both celebrate and highlight local production. Local designer Viktor Erlandsson believes the discussion “is often oversimplified.”
– Producing locally does not automatically mean better, nor does producing in Asia mean worse. What concerns me is how easily production is distanced from design decisions. When geography becomes a shortcut rather than a conscious choice, quality, responsibility, and awareness tend to erode. My position is less about geography and more about knowledge, accountability, and wise decisions.
A vast part of the environmental footprint for a product is created before it reaches a warehouse, and those from transports are significantly higher when having production in Asia.
– Transport is only one part of the equation, but it’s a visible and tangible one. At the same time, inefficient small-scale production can sometimes be more resource-intensive than a well-run industrial setup elsewhere. For me, the key is transparency and realism—understanding where the actual impact lies, rather than relying on assumptions or marketing narratives. Longevity is often the most overlooked environmental factor.
What do you miss in Scandinavia in terms of production?
– We’ve lost a lot of mid-scale manufacturing. There are excellent artisans and some highly advanced industries, but very little in between. That middle ground—where you can develop objects that are neither purely handcrafted nor fully mass-produced—is crucial for experimentation, iteration, and sustainable growth. Rebuilding that infrastructure would make an enormous difference.
How will this development continue? Will we see more local production? Or not?
– I think we will see a hybrid future. Certain types of production will be local—those driven by lust, smaller series, and a renewed interest in material knowledge. At the same time, global production will continue to grow. The important thing is that the production choices still need to be justified—not just economically, but culturally and environmentally, Erlandsson shares. He continues:
– There’s an overemphasis on speed—fast development, fast launches, fast consumption. Many of the most interesting projects emerge from slower processes, where design and production inform each other over time. A deeper engagement with materials and manufacturing is essential—not only for designers, but for producers and consumers as well. That knowledge is becoming a competitive advantage, not a limitation. Far too often, I encounter ignorance and decisions are made without sufficient material or production knowledge, which ultimately compromises everything.
Erlandsson is the founder of Artefacts, a design label focusing on objects with permanence rather than novelty.
– We work with restrained forms, honest materials, and a strong connection between design, production, and use. The collection stands on two legs: small-scale and locally crafted objects alongside carefully developed industrial products. What unites them is a focus on clarity, longevity, and respect for how things are made—without compromise.
– Fundament is a candle holder and the first product in Swedish design brand Artefacts’ industrial line. Inspired by the foundation of a building, it is reduced to its essentials: weight, balance, proportion, and surface. The object is intentionally quiet and meant to feel self-evident rather than expressive. Considerable time was spent refining the manufacturing process so that the industrial logic becomes part of the aesthetic, not something hidden behind it.
– I put considerable effort into creating the right framework around each artefact, guided by a conviction that objects deserve clear intentions and proper conditions. The objects are developed to last, to remain in use, and to speak to a conscious audience. Doing things right matters, even when it is slower, more complex, or less commercially convenient.
– As the collection grows, I look forward to seeing the industrial and the handcrafted lines exist side by side. Each on its own terms, each honest about its process and limitations. My hope is that the audience appreciates not only the objects and their design, but also the world and philosophy behind Artefacts, Erlandsson concludes.
