Antti Pitkänen - Experience Developer
Entrepreneur – Designer – Home Chef
Antti Pitkänen is a versatile design professional and an award-winning design director. He has designed everyday things ranging from bottles to buses, and from spaces to brands. Antti has been an entrepreneur for over 22 years.
He first worked as one of the founders and CEO of the design agency SEOS, and later as Chief Experience Officer at Agile Work. Throughout his career, Antti has been actively involved in various professional associations as well as in developing the design industry.
Work Environments and Real Estate
Today, at 45, Antti is the co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of Agile Work, a company focused on developing work environments and real estate. Founded in 2015, the company benefits from his leadership in client acquisition, new projects, and experience development.
“I want to be an enabler. I make sure the team has work, projects are completed on time with high quality, and that every expert can be the best version of themselves.”
“The most rewarding part is seeing how the team succeeds in their work and creates something I would never have thought of myself.”
The office employs interior architects, service designers, project managers, construction consultants, digital experience specialists, and professionals specialized in change management.
“True value comes from diverse backgrounds and multidisciplinary expertise. These allow us to drive projects forward and support the ways and spaces in which people will work in the future, in the best possible way.”
“This work is centered around researched data on how people behave and operate across different industries.”
Raised Across Cultures
Antti is a Finnish-Spanish professional, born and raised in Spain, who moved to Finland to study 20 years ago. In 2005, he began his studies in design business management as well as strategic and participatory design at the University of Art and Design Helsinki, now part of Aalto University. At that time, his studies also included courses at the Helsinki University of Technology and the Helsinki School of Economics.
Before moving to Finland, Antti studied industrial design in Birmingham, Brighton, and Bangkok, and worked in design studios in Spain.
“For me, it is important to meet people with respect. I believe in flat hierarchies, continuous learning, and that bossing people around is unnecessary.”
“Quality and a culture of continuous learning are essential. It’s about developing yourself and not getting stuck in one place. Physical activity has become a very important part of my daily life. In winter, I go freeriding, and in summer, I enjoy windsurfing. At home, I cook a lot and with pleasure.”
Designer of Change
Agile Work was originally born when Antti and his colleagues noticed that high-tech product development was often carried out in rather unpleasant and dull spaces. This sparked a desire to improve employee well-being, which in turn could support the growth of medium and large technology companies. This idea provided a strong start, and the company continues to follow that path today.
Over the past ten years, the office has completed more than 300 projects for a wide variety of companies. In recent years, its operations have also expanded into real estate development.
“I am excited by learning new things, creating experiences, and improving the functionality of everyday life. It’s also important to always try something new, which is why I co-founded Finland’s first Vermutti brand during the COVID years. It has been a fun hobby alongside my main work.”
Lack of courage is certainly not something you can accuse Antti of.
Collaboration at the Core
“I feel my greatest successes happen when a project is carried out together with the client and the users. That’s when something truly unique is created, making the client’s company a pioneer.”
A good example of this approach is Vaisala’s product development facility. The work was done in collaboration with some of the world’s leading experts. The result was an environment that genuinely supported the company’s way of developing new products and exploring environmental and industrial measurement solutions.
“It was extremely interesting to follow the process from idea to product and see how this work translated into the physical space.”
Another important collaboration for Antti has been with Nokia. He was involved in designing an experiential space project for the company, the Executive Experience Center in Karaportti. The project offered the exciting opportunity to work closely with both Nokia’s suppliers and the company’s internal team.
The result was a world-class experiential work environment, visited by Nokia’s clients and partners—including heads of state—from around the globe. Antti was responsible for the project and for developing the overall experience.
The Transformation of Work
In recent years, the culture of work has undergone significant changes. During the COVID pandemic, work shifted from on-site to remote, and later from remote to hybrid, affecting how many companies operate.
In the spring, Antti’s team completed SRV’s new headquarters project in Horisont, Kalasatama. It was Finland’s first office skyscraper, developed by SRV, which eventually wanted to move there itself. Antti and his team were responsible for designing the headquarters, overseeing the entire transformation process, and participating in the property’s development together with SRV’s experts.
“When developing work environments today, it is important to involve the employees who will use the spaces. This ensures solutions that genuinely improve well-being at work and, in turn, enhance the company’s competitiveness.”
In modern workplace design, the focus is on versatility, flexibility, and sustainability. According to Antti, the biggest mistake is leaving spaces empty.
“The office must provide value so that people want to come in.”
Returning to the Office
In Finland, the shift to remote work happened faster than anywhere else. For introverted Finns, this came naturally. Many have homes and cottages where working is feasible. As a result, people settled into their homes, and bringing them back to the office has been challenging. A major change in this context is that the office has lost its monopoly as the primary place to work. Work can now be done in cafés, at clients’ sites, or almost anywhere.
This shift has changed the nature of office spaces and the reasons for coming to them. It’s important to understand why people want to come to the office and what they intend to do there. Antti studies this annually and uses the data in his upcoming projects.
“People come to the office to meet, brainstorm, and focus. That’s when the best ideas are born, and when they get the strongest support for their work. These things don’t necessarily happen at home.”
Practical Dresser
Antti is not enthusiastic about unnecessary shopping. He prefers to buy less, but better—things he truly needs in his daily life. He values quality, versatility, and sustainability in clothing. What is purchased, he uses for a long time.
Antti has been wearing FRENN clothing for many years. Jarkko Kallio, one of the brand’s founders, has been a familiar figure in design circles for years, which is how Antti became acquainted with the collection.
“It’s important for me to know where clothes come from and who made them. Faceless international brands no longer interest me. Honest stories mean a lot to me.”
“What appeals to me in FRENN clothing is a certain simplicity and timelessness. They are made for the wearer without the stamp of a star designer. Each piece has its own unique touch, which makes them interesting. Classic dressing with a new twist.”
Versatility and Comfort
Antti’s daily life consists of a variety of situations: taking his children to school, visiting construction sites, attending meetings at the office, and giving talks at seminars. For this, he needs clothing that is easy to mix and match and that he can rely on from morning to evening.
“FRENN clothing is timelessly stylish and durable. Above all, it’s comfortable to wear and move in.”
“My absolute favorite is the Elias merino cardigan, which works as a substitute for a blazer. It’s neat, but not too neat. It’s flattering, but not overly formal. Relaxed and distinctive suits have also been my go-to pieces for a long time. Their cuts and details stand out without being over the top.”
A New Office
Antti is currently overseeing the renovation of his new office on Satamaradankatu in Vallila, Helsinki. The space is a combination of Agile Work’s own office and a shared environment for users of Colony Vallila’s property and other associated properties.
“The upcoming office complex provides an excellent opportunity to explore how spaces designed for multiple users can be developed even further.”
The office will feature a lounge-style environment with a variety of meeting and brainstorming spaces, as well as quiet work areas. The in-house Future Lab will serve as a testing ground for the office of the future. Projects requiring high-security clearance will have their own secure areas. The focus is on diversity, quality, and shared use.
“The starting point for the new office has been to offer the best possible conditions for our own employees, clients, and partners to work together.”
In addition to overseeing his own office renovation and work projects, Antti is also working on a rebranding of his company, a website redesign, and, of course, the upcoming housewarming, as Agile Work celebrates its tenth anniversary this fall. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Discover Agile Work → agilework.fi
Get Antti’s look → frennhelsinki.com/en/collections/antti-pitkanen
Photo location: Agile Work’s new office
Photography: Eeva Suutari
Style: Antti Laitinen
Clothing: FRENN
#frenn #frennhelsinki #frennman #freshnordictailoring #anttipitkanen #simplifyyourlife
