Laura-Maija Hero
Humanist of the day

Laura-Maija Hero

Aesthetics proved an ingenious choice as a major subject for a multidisciplinary innovator, although when studying aesthetics, Laura-Maija Hero was unaware of the career she would pursue. She was nevertheless deeply interested in the visual world, creativity and innovativeness and the person as a being in the social world. In hindsight, Hero sees that it was an inspired choice when combined with different minor subjects and complemented by further study in the field of marketing and technology.

Laura-Maija Hero

Born December 1, 1970, Helsinki

Master of Arts (aesthetics), University of Helsinki
PhD student 2015–, University of Turku (educational science)
Career change studies 2008–09 (pedagogy, art education)

Lecturer (cultural production) and innovation coach 2009–, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Director of marketing 1997–08 (visual mobile services, smartphones, campaigns, brand leadership) Nokia Oyj
Exhibition secretary, the Artists’ Association of Finland, Finnish Painters’ Union and Kunsthalle
Teacher 1996–97, School of Arts and Design, Aalto University

Awards:
Thesis Competition (best supervisor 2011 and 2012)
Enterprises in Helsinki Thesis Competition (best supervisor 2013 and 2014)
Nokia Achievement Award (for the innovation and productisation of full length films on mobile phones)

Written by Laura-Maija Hero (Kaija Hartikainen ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington

From my student days, I particularly remember a project-style course on environmental aesthetics where we students were given the challenge of the Lahti bypass, which was then in the planning phase, and its examination from the perspective of aesthetics. We were all invited to Hyvinkää to the large country home…

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