By Claire Reilly
SYDNEY, NSW: The 2011 Electrolux Design Lab competition is hotting up, with eight finalists from across the world announced over the weekend.
Amongst the eight chosen were designs from Enzo Kocak of Melbourne’s Monash University, and Roseanne de Bruin from Massey University in New Zealand. These two designers join finalists from South Korea, Finland, the United States, Slovakia, Canada and Hungary.
The Electrolux Design Lab, now in its ninth year, challenges undergraduate and graduate industrial design students to “present innovative ideas for household appliances of the future” according to the competition website.
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The theme for 2011 was “Intelligent Mobility”. The brief required designers to create home appliances that drew on the theme and serve a utilitarian purpose both inside and outside the home.
The brief also sought “a design concept that will offer personalisation and inspires users whilst utilising existing technology” and one that reflected the Scandinavian design values of “being sensitive to the environment, providing intuitive ease of use and aesthetic appeal”.
The Australian entry into the competition was The Ribbon – a flexible heating and cooling band that can be wrapped around a vessel to warm or cool the contents. The Ribbon will join other designs such as a portable microwave, a mobile induction plate and a bouncy ball that can be filled with liquids and bounced to create a smoothie.
The eight finalists will travel to London on 7 September 2011 to present their concepts to a jury of expert designers. The winner will receive a 6-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design centre and a 5,000 Euro prize.
A list of the eight finalists for the competition can be found at the Electrolux Design Lab website.
The Ribbon features two sides for heating and cooling.
The flexible device can also be pieced together to create a larger surface.