Helsinki, the World Design Capital (WDC) in 2012, and INDEX: of Denmark have launched Design to Improve Life, which seeks to promote and to apply design and design processes that have the capacity to improve people’s lives worldwide.

Both World Design Capital (WDC) Helsinki 2012 and INDEX: see design as a way to find solutions to challenges. “Our partnership is a natural extension of our views of design,” says Pekka Timonen, Director of WDC Helsinki 2012. “We highly appreciate the efforts of INDEX:. WDC Helsinki 2012 will provide a good platform for sharing our views.”

The collaboration with INDEX: will extend to all five cities participating in the WDC Helsinki 2012 project. “The whole Helsinki metropolitan area is committed to design-led development as a source of wellbeing and competitiveness,” comments Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen. “The INDEX: Partner City Network is an excellent platform for sharing and learning from other cities and individuals.”

The new alliance includes the cities of Helsinki, Copenhagen and Singapore. "We very much admire the design development in these [partner] cities,” says Kigge Hvid, CEO of INDEX: “The collaboration will be of mutual benefit.”

INDEX: is a non-profit organization emphasizing the multifaceted nature of design and seeking to demonstrate how design can be used to find solutions to diverse challenges ranging from curbing carbon dioxide emissions to lack of freshwater in many parts of the world. The organization’s main activities are large-scale public events, education and informative programmes, design labs, and communication.

During 2012, INDEX: will provide the WDC Helsinki cities with a Design to Improve Life educational program which will be used in high schools to teach students creative design thinking. The participating schools will include some from all five WDC Helsinki 2012 cities.

The partnership with INDEX: involves INDEX: Design Lab Helsinki, which will focus on challenges put forth by WDC Helsinki 2012 and discussed by leading experts. The partnership will give WDC Helsinki 2012 visibility in all INDEX: Awards Exhibition projects and various events organized by INDEX:.