5 Questions for Note Design Studio

Note Design Studio was founded in Stockholm in 2008 by Johannes Karlström and Cristiano Pigazzini. Since their breakthrough with the iconic wooden Bolt stool for La Chance – which earned them a Wallpaper* Design Award in 2011 – they are steadily making their mark on the international design world. Working along their fourteen-strong team, the duo takes a multidisciplinary approach that spans architecture, interiors, product and graphic design, always with a strong sense of colour and materiality. A prime example? The striking Tarkett Ateljé showroom unveiled during the most recent Stockholm Design Week. We asked co-founder Johannes Karlström what currently drives Note in today’s design landscape.

1. Which recent project has challenged you in unexpected ways?

“Our collaboration with Neko Health, a Swedish startup co-founded by the founder of Spotify. The brief was to create a health centre around advanced medical scanning equipment, capable of early, preventative detection of illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease. It’s groundbreaking technology, and we were tasked with designing the interiors and the overall spatial experience. That came with its fair share of challenges. Technology has its limitations, and as a designer, you need to work around them. At the same time, the human aspect is essential – especially in a space built around something new and AI-driven. How do you make sure the environment doesn’t feel cold or impersonal? That’s exactly what made the project both complex and genuinely fascinating.”

2. Where do you see the biggest opportunities in design?

“For me, it’s all about collaboration – about the way creativity sparks between people. That’s something we really focus on as a team: finding ways to unlock each other’s creative potential. It’s a special feeling when you work in a creative field and, at some point, realise that you’re creating something valuable together. I’ve come to see that you can achieve that same synergy with clients: when the relationship clicks, that’s when the best work happens.”

3. How do you approach colour, and what role does it play in shaping an atmosphere?

“Colour has been a central part of our work since the very beginning. It has the power to define the entire mood of a space. Any architect or designer will recognise that. When you present a project and there’s, say, a red chair in it, you know that all the attention immediately goes there. Often, clients see nothing else. That’s what makes colour so powerful. Design is generally a slow medium, but colour is fast and powerful. It’s probably the most direct form of communication within architecture and design. It’s a bit like music – you instantly feel whether it resonates with you or not.”

4. Alongside colour, materiality is another key element of your work. How do you select materials for a new project?

“When choosing materials, we look beyond functionality to consider the sensory qualities as well. How does a material look, how does it feel, even how does it smell? At the same time, we’re becoming more and more conscious of sustainability. In every project, we try to use local materials as much as possible. For an upcoming project in Armenia, for example, our first step is to explore what’s available there: what kinds of stone and wood are used, how they’re processed locally, and what traditional techniques exist. Those contextual limitations can be challenging, but they also make the process far more interesting. The same is true in Sweden, where we work with what’s available. There’s plenty of softwood, but not much natural stone like marble. Still, even with such constraints, it’s possible to create surprisingly powerful designs.”

5. Stockholm – and Scandinavia in general – has a rich design legacy. How does that cultural context shape your work?

“We’ve obviously been shaped by the Scandinavian design tradition – rational, minimalist, and subtle. We appreciate that approach, but at the same time, we try to work beyond those boundaries. In our work, colour and intensity play a prominent role, which is less typical of classic Scandinavian design. Interestingly, we’re seeing many young designers in the region experimenting with that as well. Perhaps that’s the next chapter in Scandinavian design”

(Photography: Simon Bevan en Jocke Ono)
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