WDC Helsinki 2012 launches NFC apps and UPM RFID NFC tag smart posters

WDC Helsinki 2012 launches NFC apps and UPM RFID NFC tag smart posters

NFC is being used more and more in large scale events and WDC Helsinki 2012 is no exception. The World Design Capital (WDC) is chosen every two years and this time around Helsinki has been chosen along with other Finnish cities Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti. The objective of the World Design Capital year is to improve the daily lives and environment of the residents and to develop public services and business activities through design.

The World Design Capital is an initiative by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). Every other year, the ICSID picks a global city for accomplishments in using design as a tool to improve social, cultural and economic life.  Previous cities that have been picked include  Turin, Italy in 2008 and the second was Seoul, South Korea in 2010. However, this year’s WDC is the first that will feature NFC as a means to get an app.

WDC 2012 is expected to define and implement 250 projects throughout the year. But what would a large scale project like WDC Helsinki be without a mobile app? Luckily we don’t even have to ponder that question because digital service design company Fjord and World Design Capital (WDC) Helsinki 2012 organization have launched a mobile application for WDC Helsinki 2012. The app ‘WDC 2012′, released on January 4, is a ‘digital programme book’ that delivers the programme and actively follows WDC Helsinki 2012 news and event updates.

“It’s been a great experience to design the WDC 2012 mobile application and work together with innovative partners like UPM. We wanted to create an application that is meaningful, easy to use and relevant for everyone interested in the World Design Capital and visiting Helsinki during the year. With the introduction of NFC technology, we can improve the first-time user experience and make it easier for users to get access to the application. This is a great example of digital service design, which is becoming more and more important as our everyday lives are being digitized,” says Olli Mannerkoski, Managing Director at Fjord Nordics.

The app is available for Android and Nokia phones, and an iPhone and iPad version is expected to be released in the near future. Although with that said, as the iOS devices do not support NFC we know uses won’t be able to interact with the UPM RFID NFC tags that are associated with the event.

“World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 and Fjord have done a great job by creating such a user-friendly mobile application for Helsinki visitors. With the NFC tags providing direct shortcuts to download the app, WDC Helsinki 2012 is truly showing a strong commitment to combining technology and design. That’s what WDC Helsinki 2012 really stands for – embedded design. The visitors will love it,” says Mikko Nikkanen, Business Development Director at UPM RFID.

Nearly 20,000 UPM RFID NFC tags to appear on stickers and embedded within smart posters in and around Helsinki

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that UPM RFID is involved in the NFC tag portion of the WDC 2012 app experience. The firm is based in Finland and that alone would make them a natural fit for the Helsinki project. Smartphone users download the WDC 2012 app via NFC tags. This allows consumers to effortlessly download the app and see the latest news.  UPM BullsEye NFC tags featuring NXP Mifare UL chips were chosen for the project.

As soon as the app is installed, users have access to a map, a monthly calendar and information related to around 300 WDC projects and their location in Helsinki. The app comes in English, Finnish and Swedish flavors, so most visitors / tourists should be able to use the app as they discover the NFC tag based stickers and smart posters around the city. If you aren’t going to be in Helsinki and would still like to download the WDC 2012 app without access to UPM RFID NFC tags you can find the old fashioned app download here as well as more information about projects and news.