Ritva Puotila (b. 1935) is a Finnish textile designer and artistic director of the Finnish design company Woodnotes. The company was founded by Ritva Puotila and his son Mikko Puotila in 1987. Woodnotes was the first company in the world to use paper yarn in a contemporary way in functional textiles, and paper yarn is still an essential element in its collections.
Ritva Puotila has designed many innovative carpets for Woodnotes, including the San Francisco, Fourways and Panorama ranges. Together with Minna Ahokas, Puotila has also designed the Cool cushion, a versatile cushion that can turn from seat to ottoman and can also be used as a table. Puotila has received several important design awards worldwide for her products and for her career, including the Kaj Franck Design Prize, Finland Prize, Good Design Award and Red Dot Design Award. In 2001, she was selected as the Textile Artist of the Year. Puotila’s works are present in the collections of the world’s most prestigious museums, including the Architecture and Design Collection of the MoMA.