Reaktor today announced the launch of the Interaction Design Academy Handbook (IDA Handbook) at Helsinki Design Week, a groundbreaking publication created to raise the standard of digital design in Finland and strengthen the nation’s position as a leader on the global stage.
The handbook will be distributed free of charge to design students and faculties at Aalto University, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, and Lahti University of Applied Sciences as well as to Helsinki City Libraries. A digital edition is also freely available on Reaktor’s website.
The IDA Handbook challenges the idea that good design is only for “creative geniuses.” Instead, it provides practical tools and processes that help anyone design intuitive, human-centered digital services.
“Technology changes at a rapid pace, but it only becomes valuable when designed with people in the center. That’s why digital design is a vital skill for the future, not just for designers, but for everyone. This book offers both the mindset and the practical tools to help anyone take part in building a more functional digital world,” said Tiina Härkönen, Lead Designer at Reaktor.
A practical guide to human-centered digital services
The IDA Handbook is a hands-on guide to designing digital interactions, providing concrete methods for creating services that are intuitive, accessible, and meaningful. As more services move online and AI takes on a larger role, designers play a crucial part in ensuring that digital experiences stay grounded in real human needs.
“Most design books emphasize research and evaluation, but leave a gap when it comes to showing how good solutions are actually created. Too often, outcomes are left to the designer’s creativity alone. In truth, anyone can design effective digital services if the fundamentals are applied systematically. Creativity then becomes an advantage, not the only ingredient,” said Karri-Pekka Laakso, Lead Designer at Reaktor.
Design as a driver of change
“Design has a transformative impact on how cities and businesses evolve. We recognized Reaktor with the Helsinki Design Award last year for its outstanding contribution to digital design, and it’s inspiring to see this expertise now being shared more broadly. For Helsinki, design is both a mindset and a practical tool for improving services and everyday life. What we need are professionals who can connect technology with human-centered thinking,” said Hanna Harris, Chief Design Officer, City of Helsinki.
“Reaktor’s Design Week workshop will be part of our UI/UX coding studio, and our students are excited to be part of it,” said Tytti-Lotta Ojala, Director at Institute of Design and Fine Arts, Lahti University of Applied Sciences.
“Digital design education at Metropolia is developing rapidly, and we are committed to keeping it at the forefront. The IDA Handbook is a valuable addition that will give our students fresh perspectives and practical tools,” said Merja Kosonen, Head of Design Degree Programme, Metropolia.
Launch event and workshops at Helsinki Design Week
The IDA Handbook will be officially launched on the opening day of Helsinki Design Week, Friday, September 5, at Suomitalo. Throughout the festival, Reaktor’s studio will host a series of digital design workshops tailored for students, clients, and the wider public.
The book’s authors, Karri-Pekka Laakso, Tiina Härkönen, and Kari Riihelä, along with other Reaktor experts, will share hands-on lessons from years of practice.
The handbook builds on Reaktor’s extensive design experience and on a simulation-based design methodology developed and taught at the University of Helsinki by Sari A. Laakso, Karri-Pekka Laakso, and their team.
IDA Handbook Launch EventDate: September 5, 2025, 17:00–19:00Location: Reaktor Studio @HDW, Suomitalo, 4th floor, Lönnrotinkatu 5, 00100 Helsinki
Program:
- Welcome toast
- Opening remarks by Reaktor CEO Pekka Horo
- Talks by authors Karri-Pekka Laakso, Tiina Härkönen, and Kari Riihelä
- Panel discussion on the future of digital design
- Guided tour of Helsinki Design Week’s main venue
You can register for Reaktor’s open workshops and keynote sessions at https://www.reaktor.com/events/helsinki-design-week. The full Helsinki Design Week program is published at helsinkidesignweek.com.
Reaktor’s public discussions and workshops:
Panel discussion: AI in society and decision-making – Safeguarding happiness in the age of AI
Speakers: Hannu Ikäheimo, Director, Democracy Innovations Programme, Sitra /Pekka Horo, CEO, Reaktor / Taina Martikainen, Chair, Public Designers & Lead Business Designer, Traficom
Moderator: Jarkko Kailanto, Principal Coach and Trainer, Reaktor
Friday 5.9., 16:00–17:00Main Stage, Suomitalo
Workshop: Happiness is accessible | Onnellisuus on saavutettavaaTuesday 9.9., 16:00–17:00Led by Henna KalliokoskiReaktor workshop, Suomitalo
Keynote: Beyond visuals – Creative storytelling with AIWednesday 10.9., 16:00–17:00Led by Akseli Kouvo & Jimi Hyvärinen, Reaktor CreativeReaktor workshop, Suomitalo
Behind success is a person who is well | Menestyksen takana on hyvinvoiva ihminenThursday 11.9., 14:00–15:00Led by Reaktor Defence and Security Wellbeing Circle, Tiina Härkönen, and Eero PitkänenReaktor workshop, Suomitalo
How do we create happy organizations? | Miten luomme onnellisia organisaatioita?Thursday 11.9., 16:00–17:00Led by Kati Vilkki and Jarkko KailantoReaktor workshop, Suomitalo
Cluttered mind, clear mind – The role of content design in shaping experiencesFriday 12.9., 13:00–14:00Led by Katri Blomster, Mari ElomäkiReaktor workshop, Suomitalo
About Reaktor
Reaktor is a global technology consultancy specialized in projects that cannot afford to fail. We combine strategy, design, and technology to help ambitious companies gain a competitive edge and become industry leaders. Our expertise spans the full lifecycle of problem-solving – from pioneering data and AI to strategy, design, development, change management and continuous services – anchored in deep industry know-how and high-performing, multidisciplinary teams. And we don’t do it alone. Through the Reaktor Ecosystem, our clients gain access to over 1,100 specialized experts across 40+ trusted partner firms – amplifying capability, speed, and scale.
Founded in 2000, Reaktor has offices in Helsinki, Amsterdam, Lisbon, New York, and Tokyo, with over 700 employees. Reaktor's customers include Adidas, HBO, Supercell, Cathay Pacific and KONE.reaktor.com
About the City of Helsinki
The City of Helsinki has a long tradition of supporting design and has successfully profiled itself as a design city. For over a decade now, the importance of design has been routinely emphasised in the Helsinki City Strategy. Design is swiftly becoming a systematic component of both the city’s urban development and its user-friendly renewal of services. Design plays a crucial role in assuring that Helsinki can achieve its aim of being a smoothly functioning city of equality. Helsinki is one of the first cities in the world to have hired a chief design officer, supplemented by an internal design team and network of over 300 experts in the field of design.
The City of Helsinki is also a long-term supporter and partner of Helsinki Design Week. The Helsinki Design Award, jointly awarded by the city and HDW, is bestowed annually as part of the Helsinki Design Week festival to works and creators whose design has made the city a better place.
About LAB
The Institute of Design and Fine Arts is part of LAB University of Applied Sciences, where innovation meets working life, operating in Lahti, Lappeenranta, and online. We offer education in design, fine arts, and visual communication. At the heart of our activities is the support of sustainable, responsible, and regenerative growth. Here, creative minds grow into re-designers—fearless, hands-on optimists who don’t settle for the world as it is, but design it to be better. Let’s redesign the world together!
About Metropolia
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland’s largest university of applied sciences, educates future professionals in the fields of Business, Culture, Health Care and Social Services, and Technology. The Bachelor’s degree in design can be completed in seven different Majors. There are two Master's degree programs: Service design and Digital media services. Design students’ study in Helsinki at Arabianranta.
Metropolia is a community of around 18,000 students and more than 1,100 experts. In Metropolia, people and worlds meet to create insight, expertise, and well-being. We are a bold innovator in higher education and are building a sustainable future in close collaboration with the working life. As a problem-solving university, we support fresh thinking, new innovations, and bold experiments. Each year, we carry out over a hundred research and development projects for the betterment of society and humanity.
