The original focus of the newly founded Society was generally to promote crafts and design in Finland, and specifically, to maintain an "institute which comprises both the educational establishment and the collections thereof."

For this purpose the Society built in co-operation with the Fine Arts Association of Finland a large Ateneum building, a great achievement of those times. The premises were completed in 1887 and housed two museum collections and schools: the ones of both societies. Thus for a period of time the Society got permanent facilities for its collection and school. - Today the Ateneum houses Finland's national art gallery.

Activities
From the very beginning, the Society arranged and participated in exhibitions at home and abroad. In 1928 the annual exhibitions of Finnish crafts and design were initiated. They displayed new developments in crafts and industrial arts presented the results of design competitions. Up to this day more than 700 exhibitions have been arranged or participated in by the Society. The considerable success the Society enjoyed in international exhibitions after World War II indicated the further course of operations. In the 1890's the Society began to arrange annual lotteries: the prizes represented new avant-garde design and often were objects created for industrial art competitions.

Schools maintained by the Society
In the field of education the Arts and Crafts School, established in 1871 was specifically planned to combine the utilitarian arts, crafts and industry.

In the late 19th century, the Arts and Crafts School was expanded and replaced by four establishments: i. g. a three-year Institute of Arts and Crafts and an evening school of industrial arts. From 1875 to l965 the schools, later known collectively as the Institute of Arts and Crafts operated under the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design.

In 1965 the Institute of Industrial Arts was transferred to State ownership. In 1973 it attained university status, becoming the University of Industrial Arts Helsinki (UIAH).

Society kept its collection in public display
When. in 1871. the Arts and Crafts School was started it was natural that exemplary objects of the manual and industrial arts were needed as models. At that time a national consciousness in material culture was vague - and confidence in the folk tradition was limited. Therefore, acquisition of objects from abroad was started. Thanks to a general money-raising campaign it was possible to purchase a considerable number of objects of the highest European quality at the Vienna World Fair in 1873.

After receiving some major donations the Society decided to keep the collections in permanent public display. After this expansion, it is justifiable to speak of a "museum of crafts and design"

In 1977 the Finnish State purchased a school building in the centre of Helsinki. The collections which during decades had been exhibited in several buildings, were placed in these premises and the Museum of Applied Arts was reopened to the public in 1979. The Museum collects, takes care and displays objects illustrating the history of Finnish crafts and industrial design, and topical and other relevant material. It also promotes research and information in the field. In 1989 the Museum of Applied Arts was detached from the Society, which still is represented in its administration.