Padraig Croke - The Nordics Series

I’m an Irish graphic designer living in beautiful Finland as of 2021.

For hundreds of years Scandinavia and the Nordic countries have had a huge tradition of folk inspired textiles, patterns and handcraft. From the snow capped peaks of the Arctic, to the green fields of wildflowers in Southern Sweden, the landscape, the weather, and even, in the case of the Vikings, the gods, have shaped the patterns and textures of the Nordic identity.

But what would a modern style look like? For VOITED I wanted to design a series of patterns inspired by Nordic culture, drawing inspiration from not just the landscape and the seasons, but also from culture, architecture, design and way of life.

I knew that I wanted my pattern to fit on a grid, drawing inspiration from the textiles often found in the homes of Scandinavia. I began by creating a series of shapes and objects from nature, architecture, textiles and the seasons. The result is The Nordic Series, one design in two color schemes inspired by the Nordics.