Some beginnings arrive long before you realise they're the start.
To mark Kukka’s 15th anniversary, I’m sharing a series of blog posts that reflect on the unexpected turns, milestones, and personal discoveries that shaped my design practice. Looking back is not so much about nostalgia, but about tracing the lines that still surface in my work today.
The name before the plan
In 2005, I travelled to Finland and started learning a few words and phrases because I loved the sound of the language. One of those words was Kukka – meaning "blossom" or "flower". I remember thinking: if I ever start something of my own, this will be the name. It wasn’t even a plan at the time, but the word stayed.
Kukka felt strong and elegant. A name that could hold multiple meanings and endeavours. It reminded me of fashion houses like Gucci, Pucci or Prada. Everyone would be able to pronounce it, unlike my last name. I registered the domain right away. The website and atelier followed years later in 2010.
Memories in bloom
Blossoms always take me back to my childhood. We had a large cherry tree in our garden, and every spring it exploded into beautiful white blooms. I used to climb into its branches and sit there daydreaming for what felt like hours. Spring was the season I came alive. It still is. That sense of renewal and optimism is something I associate with my work.
A visual identity shaped by contrasts
The Kukka logo is a mark that feels personal, symbolic, and reflective of who I am and how I work. I designed the Kukka logo myself when I became self-employed in 2010. During my studies, I was usually the one in group projects who took care of layouts and visuals. I enjoyed writing, but especially loved translating ideas into
visual language. I was the one with design software skills, and I liked
using them. So it felt natural to take on the design myself. The Kukka logo reflects that part of me, the mix of
conceptual thinking and hands-on creation.
I’ve always liked contrast in design: soft colours with bold shapes, or the other way around. But I didn’t want a separate wordmark and icon. Instead, the letter shapes, spacing and palette form a hybrid, something that reads as both name and symbol. It holds symmetry, repetition and a certain softness. At the time, I was drawn to muted colours: dusty pinks, mauves, taupe. I even dressed in those tones.
The kerning – the placement of and space between letters – was refined years later by a graphic designer who also happens to be my partner. A detail only a few might notice.
A personal marker
The monogram I often use, >||<, and the full wordmark, |<u>||<a, are full of references. The two vertical bars are a nod to my initials: LL. The arrows surrounding them reference media player buttons — forward, rewind, pause, skip — and reflect my deep love for music. And together, they form a visual rhythm that suggests movement, reflection, and direction.
To me, the logo balances past, present, and future. It’s has personal meaning, but is also open-ended enough to grow with my practice.
Still a good fit
This logo has remained from the
very beginning. It
reminds me of why I started, and what I want to hold onto: intention,
meaning, and the subtle power of symbols.
Kukka’s visual identity still feels right after all these years. With fast visual trends and rebranding, I'm glad mine still fits me.
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