Digital is a human experience

Even though he is known as Brandkind’s digital wizard, Marko Mannonen surprises many by stating that “The mark of excellent user experience is when you no-longer need to make a point about something being digital… or when you no-longer distinguish the difference.” Digital is not an end goal for anything, it is a tool, a media, a way of working and to Marko the natural way of navigating and interacting with the world around us.

What sets Marko apart from many other vastly talented experts in all things digital, is his understanding of the human condition. He can fluently “speak nerd” with his digital counterparts, but regularly receives praise from clients for his ability to explain the intricacies and real-world implications and effects of his work to those of us that do not share his depth of experience and expertise. This makes him a true unicorn that stands out from the herd.

Knowledge as ancient as the internet itself

Speaking of experience – Marko doesn’t like to brag, but this self-taught wizard is responsible for coding some of the first commercial websites in Finland during the dawn of the internet era. Over the years just about everything has changed (at least once or twice over) except for Marko’s passion for building digital experiences for a human audience. “Staying relevant in such a rapidly evolving scene is not an issue when it’s not just your job – but also your passion,” Marko explains.

With strong roots in coding and the technological side of digital media, Marko can easily envision how the client’s goals and ambitions can be translated into effective and functional executions. But the final execution is not where his true strength lies at. Marko sums up his role as follows, “There are three key elements that come together in my job. Before we ever get to the technology, we first need to understand human logic and human psychology.”

The future is digital in every way

Digital no-longer means something that lives on the internet. Digitalization has crept into every imaginable part of our everyday lives. With topics such as the emergence of generative AI and developments in legislation related to data collection, we are seeing the need for adaptability and rapid changes in the way we work and live every day. “Digital considerations are also always a part of all early strategic planning and design work we do at Brandkind,” Marko reminds us. “We want to take on the complicated stuff, so that it doesn’t have to be difficult for the client. That’s our business.”