Rūta Jumīte

Rūta Jumīte was born on 19 February 1993 in Sigulda.

Rūta Jumīte describes herself as a multidisciplinary designer. "My areas of focus include graphic design, design research, conceptual design, ecocentric design education, encompassing workshop organisation, as well as exhibition design."

An active and contemporary designer, she keeps abreast of the latest trends in global design and societal developments, encompassing as broad a scope as possible. She believes that progress in these areas brings recognition within the design community, reflected in nominations and wins at competitions.

Rūta Jumīte studied interior design at Riga School of Design and Art from 2010 to 2013. She then pursued a Bachelor's degree in graphic and packaging design at the Design Department of the Art Academy of Latvia from 2015 to 2019, where she completed various design programmes. To further her education, she studied broader contemporary design at Aalto University in Finland from 2020 to 2023, earning a Master's degree from the Creative Sustainability study programme. She notes that this programme encouraged her to think critically, reassess her design practice, and broaden her horizons. Finland proved to be a pivotal moment for her: ".. I have always been passionate about environmental and social sustainability, as well as design activism. .. these areas fuel my enthusiasm and drive. [..] I believe that the future role of a designer will be that of a mediator – someone who connects various stakeholders and facilitates communication." Rūta Jumīte is already on this path in design, a path yet to be fully embraced in Latvia. However, it remains open to addressing the most pressing challenges of our time, embracing new and increasingly comprehensive ideas to find effective solutions to current issues.

In addition to her studies, Rūta Jumīte expanded her expertise at the design studio Overpriced in Riga (2016–2019), the information design agency Hi-Pe in Vienna (Austria, 2018), the design studio More Sleep in Berlin (Germany, 2020), and the research group Food Futures (2021–2023). She also participated in the urban diversity promotion project Helsinki Think Company (Finland, 2022), among other endeavours.

Rūta Jumīte's work is marked by professional finesse. Many of her projects, such as the branding for Imants Ziedonis Foundation Viegli, evolve into more extensive collaborations. Her portfolio includes book and magazine designs, such as the radio magazine Kur zeme tā (Where this land is; a multimedia publication, 2020), the book Kuldīga. Raksti (Kuldīga. Articles, 2021), and the visual identity for various exhibitions, including the Latvian Pavilion featuring two artists, Skuja Braden, at the Venice Art Biennale (Italy, 2022), the Latvian Art Collection at the Malmö Art Museum (Sweden, 2022), and the exhibition No Arkādijas līdz Marsam (From Arcadia to Mars) at the National Library of Latvia dedicated to the parks of Riga (2023). She also contributed to international art festivals in Riga, including Survival Kit 14 (2023) and Survival Kit 15 (2024), as well as environmental and graphic design projects such as Sporta pils dārzi (Sports Palace Gardens, 2021) and Tērbatas vasaras iela (Tērbatas Summer Street, 2020, 2024).

Since 2021, Rūta Jumīte has served as a guest lecturer at the Art Academy of Latvia, teaching a course on the directions of the design profession (2021) and a course on design research (2024). In collaboration with Ieva Laube at the Art Academy of Latvia and Vidzeme Market in Riga, she organised and led the summer school Dizaina aktīvisms: intervences eko–sociāliem izaicinājumiem (Design activism: interventions for eco-social challenges) for the students of the Art Academy of Latvia (2023). In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the National Design Award of Latvia in 2024.

The biography was prepared by Rūta Muižniece,
Master of Arts