Swedish design is minimalist with an emphasis on functionality and simple clean lines: this has applied especially to furniture, even if Sweden is known for traditional crafts including glass and Sami handicrafts. Organisations that promote design in Sweden are Svensk Form, the Swedish society of crafts and design, founded in 1845; the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation (SVID); the Swedish Arts Council; and the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design (ArkDes). Among Swedish design pioneers:

1. Artur Lindqvist (1897–1983), furniture designer. His garden chair A2 from 1930 gained recognition for its unique spring steel construction, which lends it a peaceful swing.

2. Astrid Sampe (1909–2002), textile designer, introduced the printed towel in Sweden. Her pattern Persons kryddskåp from 1955 is a classic in the kitchen.

3. Bruno Mathsson (1907–1988), furniture designer and architect. His chair Pernilla from 1944 is an international icon.

4. Gillis Lundgren (1929–2016), furniture designer at IKEA, and the man behind the flat-pack and ready-to-assemble furniture. The Billy bookshelf from 1979 is a worldwide bestseller.

5. Gunilla Lagerhem Ullberg (1955–2015), textile designer at Kasthall. In 1998 Moss, her contemporary interpretation of the traditional Swedish ‘rya’, brought the long-piled rug back into fashion.

6. Josef Frank (1885–1967), designer at Svenskt Tenn from 1934. His colourful patterns often blend dream and reality, like Teheran, created in the 1940s.

7. Märta Måås-Fjetterström (1873–1941), textile artist, made the Swedish ‘röllakan’ flatweave technique world famous. Her rug Bruna Heden, with its graphic pattern, was created in 1931.

8. Nisse Strinning (1917–2006) and Kajsa Strinning (1922–2017), industrial designers. Their shelving system Stringhyllan has been popular ever since its launch in 1949.

9. Sixten Sason (1916–1967), industrial and product designer for Saab automobiles, Electrolux vacuum cleaners and many more. In 1943 he developed the Hasselblad camera 1600F.

10. Stig Lindberg (1916–1982), designer and illustrator. Berså from 1961 is one of his most beloved patterns.