About me
- Graphic Designer & Illustrator for both online & print, from high-level concepting to hands-on production.
- 30 yrs old from Helsinki, Finland.
- Loves: magazines, music, dogs, DIY & trashion, creative crafts.
- EMAIL: riikka@riikkakurki.com
- Portfolio: www.riikkakurki.com
- connect:
Curriculum Vitae:
Core competence
- Graphic design & Visual Identities for both online & print
- Illustration
- Social media campaigns & solutions
- Concept Design, User experience, Usability
Work exprerience
11/2009 – 
Art Director. Zipipop, helsinki
Social media packaging: consulting, marketing, campaigns.
Online identity & campaign design.Zipipop provides operational & marketing solutions for business and advices companies on how to benefit from engaging with their customers via social media.
Clients: Sosiaali- ja Terveysministeriö, Nelonen Media, Valio, Stora Enso, Zokem, Yoso and several smaller start-up companies.
3/2008–11/2009 Senior Graphic Designer, Campaigns.
Sulake, helsinki
Online community campaigns and marketing for most active social networking service in Finland: irc-galleria.net.
Working also with international branding and product development: for example concept & design of the Online Store selling premium account, widgets, trinkets and custom layouts - both user and customer generated.
- IRC-Galleria is the most active social networking service (SNS) in Finland with 500 000 active users.
- It is used by 74% of 15-24 year old Finns on a weekly basis, making it the most active and largest media for teens and young adults in Finland.
- IRC-Galleria International community platform is used in Germany, Spain, France and Lithuania.
2002–2009 Freelancer Graphic Designer, Illustrator & Photographer.
Art Direction, Illustration, Concept Design, Website production, Book Design, Photography, Advertisements etc.
Festival online photo documentary for the finnish rock festivals promotional use.
Clients incl. Tammi Publishers, Ruisrock, Ilosaarirock, Ankkarock, Nyt-liite, Karjalainen, University of Art & Design, Lahti University of Applied Sciences and many smaller companies and magazines.
2007 Graphic Designer / Press Photographer. newspapers Karjalainen Joensuu
Page layout design, illustration and press photography for supplement cover pages. Pages were also published in Keskisuomalainen and Savon Sanomat (through Väli-Suomen Sanomalehdet).
I also re-styled Karjalainen's website karjalainen.fi.
2005–06, Graphic Designer. ONLINE ADVERTISING AGENCY Taivas Ego, Helsinki
Online Flash campaign sites and online advertising graphic design for clients: Raha-automaattiyhdistys (RAY Pelaamo), Polar Electro Oy, Asiakastieto, Kesko (Plussa).
2003–05 Web Designer / Producer. Lahti University of Applied Sciences
Project head for the wide site renewal project for Lahti University of Applied Sciences.
Visual and concept design, usability, editing online content and structure.
2003 AD-assistant. Online advertising agency Verkkojulkaisut Oy, Helsinki
Online campaigns, customer websites and online advertising.
Clients: Tiimari, McDonalds, Designmuseo, STUK - Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, Metrotukku, Adulta
1999–2001 Web Designer
Online advertising Agency Muuntamo & Lahti institute of design
Online & offline advertising and photography for several clients and website projects for Institute of Design.
Summer jobs during my studies in Lahti.
Education
2004– Master of Arts. University of Art and Design, Helsinki
Main subject: Graphic Design & Illustration.
1998–2002 Bachelor of Visual and Media Arts (Medianomi AMK), 160 cr / 240 ects, 4 years. lahti University of Applied Sciences, institute of design
Main subject: Visual Communication, Multimedia Design.
Final work thesis: WE ARE! A qualitative research about communities and identities based on two subcultures with strong gender roles: deco swapping (girls) and demoscene (boys). Wider context was postmodern identities in avatar chat service Hotelli Kultakala (nowadays known as Habbo). Top grade (5) and a scholarship.
1995–98 Matriculation Examination. upper secondary school Joensuun Lyseon Lukio
Other projects
2002–03 Moppi Productions: "ix"
Concept & Graphic Design to realtime demoscene demos together with Moppi Productions. "ix" won 2nd prize in Assembly Combined Demo Compo and was honoured in many international digital media festivals and competitions and exhibitions (incl. ARS Electronica 2003).
Program / technical skills
WWW-standards, valid XHTML ja CSS
Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver,
Flash, Quark
+ basics in video editing and animation softwares.