Electrolux Design Lab 2011 finalist Adam Miklosi is the Hungarian designer behind the Sous-vide Cell Cooker, a concept inspired by the professional trend of slow food cooking. He is a student at University of West Hungary – Institute of Applied Arts.

What was the inspiration for your concept?
I am also part of this change in the way of life: as a major in designer studies, I also face this rushing lifestyle. I imagined intelligent mobility as constantly being on the move. As first my inspiration, the way nomad folks lived, their persistent migration and various food-cooking and preservation methods used by them, determined my concept. I drew a parallel between classical nomadic and “urban nomadic” migration (home-workplace). The nomadic philosophy of lifestyle constituted the basis of my work later: “quantity of food to be enough for one eating” and “possible omission of preservation.” The process of design was shaped by persistent consultations with a number of experts and also by own experiences. As regards to appearance, basic geometric shapes, cell structures, and the shape of plankton inspired me.

How does your concept fit into the theme of intelligent mobility?
The concept of intelligent mobility is basically a search for solutions for present-day changes in our lifestyle. To get to know these changes better, I was supported by several experts. I believe that due to developed and developing technology, the concept of mobility also has a new sense. This mobility can be interpreted on the level of small physical signs and radio signs; the emphasis is on control and that is the reason for being “intelligent.” I was working on a concept of an appliance, which is static, but despite its limitation, it can be freely controlled from everywhere, it can be customized, and it also functions as a solution for the user, it makes one’s life easier. After defining intelligent mobility, I was seeking functional and technical solutions. That is how I found the cooking method called “Sous-vide,” which is perfectly controllable and can be connected to an already existing and active wireless network.

Why would a consumer want to own your concept (what are its main benefits)?
One of the most important negative factors going hand-in-hand with changes in lifestyle is irregular eating and irregular lifestyle patterns. With the help of my work, I would like to motivate users to systematize their lives and also to think over and plan their eating. We have less and less time to cook, what is more, users in my target audience would like to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible and rather to enjoy free time after work, and spend more time with their families. However, I would like to ensure the experience of eating self-made food. The appliance makes it possible to get the previously prepared and flavored food ready without having to stand at the oven for hours. Cellcooker can be controlled basically from everywhere and we can easily check the cooking process as well. Due to smartphones, there is no need to have a separate remote controller as it is executable with an application. The cooking process can be modified, paused, slowed or rescheduled. The appliance has a great advantage also from the aspect of environmental protection: it needs only one dose of distilled water to provide the required cooling-heating.

Describe the consumer research behind your concept?
I conducted a research from the aspect of users, during which I persistently consulted with a dietitian. The analysis of questionnaires concerning diet also helped my work. I examined eating habits and their alterations either in a negative or a positive way. These habits have changed significantly recently. As my consultant would say, “we eat what we get.” As a result of long working hours, people have less and less time to eat. In the course of the day, my target audience eats nothing or just little, and also irregularly. The food consumed by them is either fast-food or quick-frozen food. After work, these people have energy to prepare only some sandwiches. Unfortunately, this change is becoming more and more “popular” nowadays. During the research period, the following question occurred to me several times: Would that be the next step of evolution? Members of my target audience are usually progress-oriented young people, fresh graduates, and new entrants, who own or rent small apartments. The appliance designed by me may be an appropriate way to get healthy, delicious and self-made food in today’s rushing world.

What kind of materials would you use to build your concept?
I would like to use recycled plastic (like the Electrolux Green vacuum cleaners material) as the body of my device, steel, and glass.

Who is your favorite designer?
My favorite designer is Dieter Rams.

What are your career goals?<
I have been interested for a long while in conception design and in innovative and extreme ideas to be applied in following decades. I am constantly paying attention to technical and technological innovations, which I apply in my work with pleasure. As regards the field of design, I would like to focus on visions and to seek new creative ways and methods for utilization.