As a household name, Electrolux has impacted us with their innovations and Swedish Design Thinking. They take forth their commitment towards inspiring us with the student design competition – Electrolux Design Lab. For the 2015 competition, we have 34 shortlisted entries that will be featured over the next three weeks on Yanko Design. You as a design advocate can vote for your favorite in People’s Choice and win a trip to Helsinki to experience future design first hand.
To get to know the Semi-finalists a bit better and to help you decide, we asked the young designers a few light-hearted questions and this is what they had to say ….
YD – Have you ever experienced bed bugs?
Kowalski – No, but I am student and I rent a room which I regularly change. I must accurately clean a mattress to avoid bed bugs every time!
YD – After using Cleanspire, how often will one need to change their bedding?
Kowalski – Clanspire is a robot which refreshes a bedding. I think, we should change own bedding, when the gel filters in Celanspire will be filled.
YD – What inspired you to think about bio-mimicking a spider?
Trindade –Nature is always a good source of inspiration, it knows the optimum way for both solving problems and living in synergy with the environment.
YD – How would you market the Weaver?
Trindade – Weaver extends the life of textiles by repairing colors and fibres, making clothes last longer and engaging kids into sustainable habits.
YD – According to you, what are the most difficult stains to remove?
Lakatos – According to my research red wine stains are the most difficult stains to remove, but grass, blood and food stains are also hard to remove.
YD – Will Magic Wand be able to remove those stains?
Lakatos – Magic Wand uses a technology which enables it to decompose especially organic based stains, whether it be blood, grass or even red wine.
YD – How energy intensive is the ButtonLab?
Uhlíř – It is equipped with motion detection, thus it is active only if the items around change position, otherwise it stays in energy-saving mode.
YD – Besides discovering the best way to wash clothes, does the device do anything else?
Uhlíř – ButtonLab works as a universal control system. Avoid difficult setting – connect it to any washing machine or iron and upload treatment.
YD – Where you afraid of monsters while growing up?
Garcia – I was really scared of monsters while growing up, but I used to think that if my blanket covered all my body it would protect me from them.
YD – Voris opens his tongue to display the garments ready to be put away in their place. Are these garments ironed, folded and ready for use?
Garcia – When VORIS displays the clothes on his tongue these are ironed and folded ready to put them on the closet or for another use.
YD – Are you an avid gamer, is that why you integrated gaming in your design?
More – Yes I’m. Gaming develops qualities like imagination, sportsmanship & social communication. It interacts and educates. It makes us responsive.
YD – What inspired you to include holographic to the design?
More – Kids are attracted to lights shape and forms. Holographic can create stunning experiences for children to learn better and remain curious.
YD – Can you tell us more about being “eco-designers?”
Basharova – For kids and all consumers being eco-designers is an approach to recycle waste and create new functional goods for own usage directly at home.
YD – How do you typically recycle your waste at home?
Basharova – I upcycle plastic & glass bottles and didn’t recycle my waste now. It demands simple tool to produce objects from organics and another scrap.
YD – Are you personally inclined to cooking? What kind of food do you like?
Palovis – Yes, I am. I often make food myself. It’s really hard to say what kind of food I like as I love to try out new dishes.
YD – Can one person taste one Sampler or many people can taste it?
Palovis – Due to hygiene, a Sampler can only be tasted by one person at a time. However, Bud has 5 of them so a group can be involved in the activity.
YD – How will a child interact with Fum-e?
Hinkkanen – Fum-e would offer a joyful learning experience through active educational games teaching important knowledge concerning healthy life.
YD – What is your favorite dish that you cook?
Hinkkanen – Lately I’ve been exploring different kind of vegetarian currys. Fum-e would be a great help for finding different variations for seasonings.
Electrolux Engage by Daniel Sällberg
YD – How has living in China influenced your design thinking?
Sällberg – Chinese design students have inspired me a lot and among other things enhanced my appreciation of simplicity in Design.
YD – Tell us something more about the mascot; what inspired you to create that?
Sällberg – The mascot is a perfect tool for encouraging interaction, by giving individually adapted visual and auditory instructions.
Above are ten of the shortlisted thirty-four entries. Vote for your favorite here. All you need to do after voting is to answer the question “What is Healthy Happy Kids to You?”
The best comment selected by Electrolux will win the prize. Details here.
Deadline: September 14, 12:00 CET
– Return flight to Helsinki
– Transportation from and to airport
– 2 nights stay in central Helsinki 14 – 16 October
– Participation at the Design Lab award ceremony and gala dinner on October 15 2015
