Stories 2025.09.30
Play, Imagination, and the Courage to Challenge Norms
At Network of Design (NOD), we believe that great brands are built not only on products but on values. The companies in our group share a common foundation: they are design-driven, authentic, and rooted in a philosophy that design should improve everyday life. The new collaboration between Kid’s Concept and Astrid Lindgren Company embodies exactly that spirit.
Why Play Matters
Play is more than entertainment. It is a way of seeing the world with curiosity, creativity, and courage. In Astrid Lindgren’s stories, and especially through Pippi Longstocking, play is an ever-present force. There are no rules, no boundaries – just imagination that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Kid’s Concept has carried the same belief since its founding in 2007: that children should be allowed to be children for as long as possible. In a world that often rushes them into adulthood, the brand insists on going the other way—deeper into play. This philosophy lies at the heart of its design work and is what made the collaboration with Astrid Lindgren Company so natural.
A meeting of legacies
Astrid Lindgren’s storytelling is a cultural legacy that has shaped generations. Kid’s Concept represents a younger voice in Nordic design, bringing fresh perspectives to children’s interiors. By uniting the two, we see how timeless values and contemporary expression can come together in a way that resonates far beyond Sweden.
As Therese Hillman, CEO of NOD, puts it:“This collaboration is more than a collection. It shows how design can carry values, stories, and imagination into people’s lives. Kid’s Concept may be one of our younger brands, but with the right partnerships it proves how Nordic design for children can inspire globally.”
Beyond Products
The collaboration, launched in connection with Pippi Longstocking’s 80th anniversary, is not just about furniture or interiors. It is about creating spaces that invite open-ended play – where children invent, explore, and build their own worlds. It is also about reminding adults that play belongs to us all.
In the words of Malin Hultqvist, CEO of Kid’s Concept:“We want to remind both children and adults that play is at the heart of life. Pippi shows us that the world becomes richer when seen through a child’s eyes, and that spirit has guided every design decision in this project.”
For NOD, this collaboration illustrates why we do what we do. We invest in brands that combine creativity with strong values, and we support them in building relevance far beyond their own categories. In this case, Kid’s Concept connects Nordic design with one of the most beloved stories in the world—a reminder that imagination and courage are as essential as form and function.