Few studios operate with the clarity and consistency of Stockholm Design Lab. Founded in 1998, the Stockholm-based practice has built a reputation as one of Europe’s most respected design studios, shaping brands through work that spans identity systems, packaging, typography, environments, and print.
At the centre of it all is Björn Kusoffsky, Founder and Executive Creative Director, whose approach to design is rooted in simplicity, clarity, and the belief that every detail contributes to the whole.
Over nearly three decades, the studio has worked with global clients including IKEA, Polestar, H&M, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, and Absolut Vodka, delivering projects that range from aircraft liveries and retail environments to books, packaging systems, and typographic identities.
What defines Stockholm Design Lab isn’t just its breadth, but its philosophy: design is not a surface-level exercise. It’s a total experience, where a wet wipe, a poster, a book, or a digital interface all carry equal weight in shaping a brand.
From the outset, Stockholm Design Lab positioned itself as a multidisciplinary studio, combining strategy, graphic design, and architecture into a unified approach.
This mindset is perhaps most famously embodied in their work for Scandinavian Airlines, a project that extended across thousands of touchpoints, from aircraft exteriors down to the smallest in-flight details.
It’s an approach that continues to define their work today: every element matters, and nothing is too small to design with intent.
That philosophy feels particularly relevant now. In an industry increasingly shaped by speed, automation, and digital-first thinking, Stockholm Design Lab’s work offers a counterpoint, one grounded in materiality, longevity, and the enduring power of ideas.
We spoke to Björn Kusoffsky about his beginnings, the evolution of design practice, and why print, despite years of being declared “dead,” remains as relevant as ever.
Björn Kusoffsky:
Hello, my name is Björn Kusoffsky, and I’m the Founder and Executive Creative Director at Stockholm Design Lab.
Early Beginnings
People of Print:
What was happening before Stockholm Design Lab — what led you into design?
Björn Kusoffsky:
I was a young student at Beckmans College of Design. Early on, I started working with magazines, actually as an art director for a music and lifestyle magazine.
After that, I worked at an advertising agency for about five years. Then I had a child, and after a while, I started Stockholm Design Lab.
People of Print:
Did you have mentors or figures you looked up to?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Yes! I had a mentor, Tom Hedqvist, who was my teacher at school and later someone I worked with at an advertising agency.
He introduced me to a lot of influential figures, designers, architects, and artists. I still look up to people like Charles and Ray Eames, Alvar Aalto, and Achille Castiglioni. And of course, classic graphic designers like Paul Rand and Peter Saville. But over time, I’ve actually become more interested in artists than graphic designers.
People of Print:
What do you mean by artists?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Contemporary artists, but also the classics. I find a lot of inspiration there. I travel a lot, and wherever I go, I look at architecture, because experiencing architecture in real life is very different from seeing images. That’s really important to me.
Print vs Digital
People of Print:
You’ve been working for a long time, how have things changed?
Björn Kusoffsky:
A major shift was moving from traditional branding into a more digital world. I remember when the iPhone came, everything opened up. The process itself hasn’t really changed. We still work in the same way conceptually, but the tools have become much faster.
People of Print:
With everything going digital, did you still integrate print?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Yes, absolutely. We’ve always been a multidisciplinary company, working across 2D, 3D, physical, and digital.
For example, with Polestar, we do large-scale digital work, but each car also has a beautifully printed book. For Sigma, the Japanese lens manufacturer, printed materials and packaging are still incredibly important. Print and digital complement each other.
People of Print:
Do you think print can outperform digital?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Yes. We recently did a campaign for Sigma, both digital and physical.
We created a guerrilla-style poster campaign in New York for a pop-up shop. The impact of those physical posters was huge, arguably stronger than the digital campaign.
People see something large and real in the street, and then it gets shared online anyway. The physical becomes digital.
People of Print:
The design industry is changing rapidly, AI, speed, new tools. What do you think is next?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Clients now have stronger internal teams, so we need to be better — higher quality, stronger ideas. Technology allows us to work faster, but ultimately, it still comes down to the idea. A great idea is what matters.
People of Print:
Do tools like AI help?
Björn Kusoffsky:
They can help generate and visualise ideas quickly, but a strong idea can still start as a simple sketch. That hasn’t changed.
People of Print:
Do you think there’s a shift back towards more raw or physical work?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Yes. During COVID, everything was digital. Now, when we meet clients in person, we bring physical materials, prints, objects, and prototypes. A physical meeting should be an experience. Otherwise, it could just be a video call.
Designing Every Detail
People of Print:
You design everything from large systems down to small details — even things like packaging. Do you approach everything the same way?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Yes. For example, the “wet wipe” project you’re referring to was part of the Scandinavian Airlines rebrand. We treated every touchpoint as equally important. The wet wipe packaging was designed with the same care as the aircraft livery. It didn’t even feature a logo, just “wet wipe” in the correct typeface. But people recognised it. It became one of the most taken items on flights.
That level of attention to detail is expected today. Everything matters.
People of Print:
What is typography to you?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Typography is one of the most powerful tools we have. It’s central to communication. We design typefaces with longevity, not trends. It should reflect the company and work across all applications. It’s easier to produce typography now, but there’s also an overwhelming amount of it. That makes clarity and intention even more important.
People of Print:
How do you maintain consistency across decades of work?
Björn Kusoffsky:
It comes down to process. Whether a project is large or small, we approach it in a structured way, with a clear strategy. We also say no to a lot of work. That’s important. Consistency comes from experience, but also from culture, the culture of the studio.
Publishing and Print Culture
People of Print:
You’ve published monographs — why?
Björn Kusoffsky:
We were approached by Victionary in Hong Kong to create a book about our work. We agreed, and we were able to design it ourselves. It became a valuable tool, both as a product and for promotion. The first edition sold out, and instead of doing a cheaper reprint, we created a completely new book with updated content.
People of Print:
What do you look for in print today?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Quality. It’s easy to print anything now, but I appreciate when there’s thought in materials, techniques, and execution. It could be something simple, like a broadsheet with a special finish, but it needs intention. And it needs to communicate something clearly and memorably.
People of Print:
You’ve also exhibited your work. How does that differ from client work?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Our exhibitions focus on our commercial work, but we go deeper, showing process and context. We had one at ArkDes in Stockholm and another in Shenzhen. They allow us to present the work in a more complete way.
Final Thoughts
People of Print:
If someone takes one thing from this conversation, what should it be?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Never underestimate the audience. People are much smarter than you think. Don’t compromise your ideas.
People of Print:
One piece of advice for the future generations?
Björn Kusoffsky:
Be patient.
In a moment where design is often measured by speed, output, and visibility, Stockholm Design Lab stands apart by focusing on something far more enduring: clarity of thought. Their work reminds us that design is not defined by format, print or digital, but by the strength of the idea behind it. From a single sheet of printed paper to a global brand system, the same principle applies: every detail matters, and every decision carries weight.
