Electrolux Design Lab’s 10th Anniversary challenge to international design students is tied to Electrolux professional knowledge and exprience in a theme that stimulates all senses.

Electrolux Design Lab is a global annual design competition inviting students and recent graduates of industrial design to compete for a six-month paid internship and prize money by submitting ideas that develop the sensory experience of home appliances. This year the jury will also take special note of the aesthetic qualities of the concept and the way textures and surface materials have been used.

Brief: Design Experience
As demonstrated in the Cube by Electrolux, the world of professional cooking is all about the experience. It’s not about achieving the perfect inner temperature of a steak for the sake of science or performance. It’s about designing the best possible experience for your guests. The creative force behind the experience is the merger of intuitive and innovative appliances with the creativity of the chef and carefully selected high quality ingredients.

The brief for Electrolux Design Lab 2012 challenges design students to draw inspiration from professional experience creators (chefs, architects, interior designers, hotel designers etc.) to design home appliances that will provide a fuller sensory experience. It might be through state of the art technology or it might be through a clever blend of textures and surfaces

Entrants will also need to consider the heritage of Electrolux. Submissions should reflect Scandinavian Design values by being sensitive to the environment, providing intuitive ease of use and aesthetic appeal.

“I believe the importance of our sensory perception is underestimated in a lot of today’s design. Too much importance is accorded to the visual. What if we could incorporate our other senses into design? Could we smell who’s calling? Or feel what’s on TV?” says Henrik Otto SVP of Global Design at Electrolux.

Autumn finals in Europe
Eight finalists will each be invited to participate in a final event in the autumn of 2012 held within a European city (to be announced) to present their individual concept to a jury of expert designers. The jury will consider entries based on intuitive design, innovation, aesthetic qualities and consumer insight when awarding the first prize of a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design centre and 5,000 Euros. A second prize of 3,000 Euros and third prize of 2,000 Euros are also on offer.

Deadline for entry is 23:59 CET June 1, 2012

For more detailed information please see the Competition section where you can read the full brief presentation, read up on the rules and register.

“To re-source is to re-generate, re-energize, re-mix and re-lax,” says Bruno Lizotte, Design Manager at Electrolux, “and the appropriate space for this multi-tasking is, more than ever before, the home and its vibrant centre – the kitchen.”

The ReSource concepts include sustainable thinking and cultural reference points – both of which are increasingly important issues for product design as our planet’s resources disappear and our changing habits and lifestyles are fed by multi-cultural influences in our quest for novelty.

“This was a true collaboration, not just teaching,” says Lizotte who tutored the students, reviewing their work and giving them feedback. “The impressive response shows a dynamic way of looking at appliance design, offering novel solutions for the kitchen environment.”

1: KEWA (Kinetic Efficient Water Appliance) by Pietro Russomanno, Italy

KEWA is a an air pressure cleaner that saves water, time, and energy. Water is directed through kinetic jets to create a ‘water-blade’ capable of cleaning a single plate or pan in one sole stroke. There is also a hand-held cleaner to remove anything that may have been left on the plate or cooking vessel in advance.

2: Aeolus by Chi Rong Hsu, Taiwan

Extraction Meets Storage – AEOLUS is an extractor fan that efficiently removes odours from the entirety of a room. Chi Rong Hsu was specifically looking for a response to manage wok cooking within an enclosed space but this solution is applicable in many scenarios and maximises space by accommodating utensils and assorted tools that can be hung from the frame. Simple, smart and effective!

3: CLEAiR by Ariadna Tellez Rossell, Mexico

CLEAiR is an air purifier that provides automatic status updates about the condition of air in your home providing a cleaner and healthier place to live. The three separate table mounted cleaners (shown above) can also be used for general cleaning in a hand-held position.

4: Breathe by Beyza Dogan, Turkey

Breathe is a living kitchen appliance that literally ‘breathes in’ air pollutants through ionization. A clean kitchen environment is complemented by ambient light that follows the natural cycle of the day making the appliance visually appealing and providing a sense of harmony in the home.

5: Jumble by Zahira Ivelisse Crespo, Puerto Rico

Induction cooking with a twist – Jumble is a flexible set of induction cooking plates that allows easy transfer of cooking vessels to different temperate zones. A remote control operates the three cooking zones and frees up valuable counter space.

6: Wine by Jung Kun Choi, South Korea

‘Wine’ brings an aesthetic dimension to wine collection and storage. The wall mounted showcase displays the bottles whilst maintaining their optimal temperature. There is also a cabinet to chill and store suitable foods served as a part of the taste experience.

7: Celcius by Marcela Vanesa Céspedes, Argentina

Celcius – Recycling Kitchen Waste. Celcius is a kitchen waste disposal and recycling appliance. Enzymes break down organic waste creating energy that is sent to containers linked by conductive pipes that can be used to heat small appliances in the home.

8: Chefiamo by Jervis Chua, Hong Kong

‘Chefiamo’ is a virtual cook book that assists, guides, inspires and maintains cooking traditions through the projection of recipes. A hologram, programmed to appear like a friend or relative is projected on to a counter top to help you through the cooking process, making it easier to recreate mum’s special recipes. An interactive glove measures progress e.g. weight of ingredients and facilitates updates.

9: Fulcrum by Surbhi Singhal, India

Fulcrum is a modular system of furniture and kitchen appliance. As it is fully adaptable to your space (it can be built up as necessary) it allows you to store, cook and eat no matter the size of your living space.

Click on the image below to watch live!

Additionally, Electrolux will exhibit 1:1 (full scale) models of the Electrolux Design Lab finalist concepts and present Electrolux products (Aurora Induction Hob, RealLife Dishwasher and Inspiro Oven) at stand K62 for the duration of 100% Design (23^rd-26^th September, 2010). You can see details of the programme below.

Electrolux Design Lab 2010 Finals & Seminar Programme

The 2^nd Space Age – Ideas for Compact Living

11:00 – 11:05 Welcome & Introduction to Design Lab – Moderator/Host
(Electrolux Design Lab history, 2010 brief, judging criteria)

11:05 – 11:25 (inc. 5mins for intro and Q&A)

Contemporary Issues in Future Product Design

Henrik Otto, Senior Vice President of Global Design at Electrolux
Projections of the future are driven very much by the technological, political, social and environmental conditions in which they are conceived. These parameters can hinder as much as enhance the design process. Here, Henrik Otto examines the evolution, decline and rebirth of product design within context.

11:25 – 12:50

Electrolux Design Lab: global design students present home appliances of the future

The eight finalists in this year’s Electrolux Design Lab finals made it through a field of 1,300 global entries. In the first of two sessions, four students present their individual compact living concepts to a jury panel of design experts. (5 mins for opening presentation)

11:30 – 11:50 Student presentation: Kitchen Hideaway – Virtual Reality Kitchen
by Daniel Dobrogorsky, Australia

11:50 – 12:10 Student Presentation: Eco Cleaner – Portable Dishwasher & Composter
by Ahi Andy Mohsen, Iran

12:10 – 12:30 Student Presentation: Clean Closet – Warterless Cleaning
by Michael Edenius, Sweden

12:30 – 12:50 Student Presentation: Kitchen Elements – Modular Shelving
by Matthew Gilbride, USA

12:50 – 13:15 (inc. 5mins for intro and Q&A)
Progressive Nation, Evolving Design
Thomas Johansson, Design Director, Major Appliances, Electrolux

As a company with a strong and distinct Swedish heritage, Scandinavian Design is in the DNA of Electrolux, however it is so much more than a design movement – it is a lifestyle application. In this session, Thomas Johansson explores the development of Sweden as a nation and the tandem evolution of design.

13:15 – 13:35 (inc. 5 mins for intro and Q&A)

What Keeps a Designer Awake at Night? – Less Space Requires Smarter Thinking!

Adam Szczepanowski, Industrial Designer, Electrolux

Increased urbanisation will mean less individual space. This in turn challenges designers to provide not only multi-functional smart products, but those that offer positive sensual experiences.

13:35 – 15:00

Electrolux Design Lab: global design students present home appliances of the future

The eight finalists in this year’s Electrolux Design Lab finals made it through a field of 1,300 global entries. In the second of two sessions, four students present their individual compact living concepts to a jury panel of design experts. (5 mins for opening presentation)

13:40 – 14:00 Student Presentation: Bio Robot Refrigerator
by Yuriy Dmitriev, Russia

14:00 – 14:20 Student Presentation: Dismount Washer – Laundry Basket & Cleaner
by Lichen Guo, China

14:20 – 14:40 Student Presentation: External Refrigerator – Exterior cooling
by Nicolas Hubert, France

14:40 – 15:00 Student Presentation: The Snail – Micro Induction Heater
by Peter Alwin, India

15:00 – 15:25 (inc 5 mins for intro and Q&A)
The Kitchen is Dead – Long Live the Kitchen!
Lars Erikson, Industrial Designer, Electrolux
The merger of rooms within modern homes maximises space, creating opportunities for greater social experiences. No longer confined by walls and visible barriers, the home offers even greater levels of interaction. As a result the kitchen is at the centre of our home – the heart and the pulse, a place to socialise, cook and eat. In the professional arena this translates to ‘transparent cooking’. These developments offer more than just physical change, they are emotional too. Lars Erikson, explores the organisation of the home and trends within kitchen design.

15:25 – 15:45

Pushing the Limits of Materiality: an Introduction

Brian Studak, Universal Design Studio

Brian Studak reviews recent material exploration by Universal Design Studio and sister company, BarberOsgerby. Specifically, material uses within temporary locations will be examined as a potential provider of positive, interactive experiences within permanent spaces.

15:45 – 15:55

Electrolux Design Lab Presentation Summaries – Review of 2010 Electrolux Design Lab Concepts

15:55 – 16:35 (inc. 10 mins for set up)

Jury Panel Discussion

In this section of the Electrolux Design Lab, our jury panel will discuss a number of issues addressing the future of design. Topics to be decided. (2009: the issue of commercial interest and the realisation of a design vision, as well as the challenges of making work readily available through ‘open source’ parameters in the name of sustainability and the environment.)

16:35 – 17:15 Announcement of Winner & Award Ceremony

Imagine never having to use pans or pots again, never having to worry whether the ingredients are fresh or never having to look up a recipe in a cook book. Heart of the Home is a thought provoking vision of the kitchen of the future – an integrated solution functioning as a kitchen table, cooking surface and bar all in one.

‘Heart of the Home’ is an intelligent, amorphous, interchangeable cooking surface that adapts to user needs. When using the Heart of the Home one simply places one’s ingredients on the surface. The appliance then analyses the ingredients and presents a list of suitable recipes. After deciding on a recipe, the user marks an area with his hand to determine how large the cooking area should be. Then the desired depth of the surface is created by simply pressing the hand against the malleable material. After achieving the required width and depth it’s just a matter of setting temperature and time with a simple touch of a finger.

Heart of the Home background

2008 was the year when, for the first time in history, more people were living in cities than in rural areas. According to the UN, the number of people living in urban areas will increase to a staggering 74 percent in 2050. As a reference, a mere 29 percent lived in cities in 1950. Electrolux has developed the Heart of the Home as an illustration of how we will lead our lives in 2050 based on a number of assumptions:

Social needs are important: Just as today, social activities will be an important part of our lives, especially when it comes to socialising with your family and friends. The increased level of high-tech support in everyday life will also mean that we will want to experience true and real values

We need simplified homes: In the limited available space of future mega cities, homes will need to be flexible and able to adjust according to circumstances. The appliances of the future will need to be integrated and adjustable. We won’t have room for a whole host of products each with their own specific function.

Societies need to be more effective: When 74 percent of 9 billion people live in cities, we have to adapt our way of living to the resources we have. We need new ways of recycling our waste. Energy efficient products and buildings will be more important than ever before.

We won’t make it without technology: Technology is important today, but it will be a matter of survival in 2050. Technological advances are a prerequisite for us being able to have a sustainable development, environmentally as well as socially.

Heart of the Home was presented for the first time at DesignBoost in Stockholm February 12th 2010.

The Electrolux Rendez-vous is an all-in-one kitchen and entertaining space. A ‘virtual chef’ will help you cook on it, you can eat from it, store your food under it, and at the same time wirelessly recharge your phone/ipod/lap top. The Electrolux Rendez-vous is a design concept that puts the kitchen at the heart of the home.

Developed by the Electrolux design team the Rendez-vous responds to trends identified by the Electrolux insight team. It is understood that many consumers love to cook and entertain but are compromised by this in traditional homes by having to pop back and forth in to the kitchen to tend to meal preparations, taking them away from their guests. Thus, a perfect solution merges the cooking experience and entertaining space together. People are also looking for intuitive and instructive design, something that provides assistance in the kitchen to ensure that meals served are worthy of master chefs.

Electrolux Rendez-vous is the first interactive table that combines the living, eating, and entertaining space. The top of the table is a unique surface of energy that brings appliances to life without the use of a cable. The mobile phone or blender can be placed on the surface to charge or activate. The table top is also an inductive cooking system that uses sensor technology. Cooking zones are not predetermined; rather heat is dispensed wherever the pan is placed. Beneath the table are modular drawers that can hold a stove, refrigerator or almost any kitchen appliance that the consumer needs. Cooking becomes a social activity, with every thing you need all in one place. Programmed into the Rendez-vous, a virtual chef guides the user through the cooking process as required. The Rendez-vous breaks down barriers in the home, creating the perfect space for gathering, cooking and eating.

This concept is based on existing technology but it may take a while before it is all bought together in the way Electrolux envisage. What do you think about such a concept?

Electrolux will be presenting a new kitchen product concept at DesignBoost held at the Architecture Museum in Stockholm (February 11/12th 2010) . Two days of workshops open to the public will be attended by a number of the world’s top international designers. The launch of the Electrolux  concept addresses future urbanisation (as per the theme of the Electrolux Design Lab 2010 competition). Watch this space for inspiration, especially if you can’t make it to the event in Sweden.