Tomorrow's Designs Today

Published Sep-24-10

Breakthrough:
Electrolux's visionary open innovation Design Lab competition has given an opportunity to students around the world to unleash their creativity, and design the products of tomorrow, today.

Company:
Electrolux, Sweden

The Story:

Tomorrow's Designs Today Electrolux opened its Design lab as an annual, global open innovation design competition in 2003, inviting undergraduate and graduate industrial design students to submit designs for futuristic household appliances.

This year's theme requested "Solutions for Compact Living," asking the students to image how people will prepare and store food, wash clothes and do dishes in the homes of 2050, when 74% of the world's population are predicted to live in urban environments.

Past themes included "90 Years Ahead," London, 2009; "Designs for the Internet Generation," Zurich, 2008; "Green Designs," Paris, 2007; "Designs for Healthy Eating," Barcelona, 2006; "Designs of the Future," Stockholm, 2005; "Designs of the future, New York, 2004; User-driven solutions, Budapest, 2003.

From more than 1,300 entries, Peter Alwin scooped the €5,000 prize for his design "The Snail," a portable heating and cooking device that attaches directly onto a pot to cook the contents.

Sugar stored in a high-density sugar crystal battery powers the magnetic induction process, heating up a coil that in turn warms the pot's contents. Sensors detect the type of food in the pot and adjust the time and temperature required.

Alwin's design not only met the space requirements, but also added the convenience of portability, and would work well in developing countries.

As well as the monetary prize, Alwin also has received a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux design center.

Check out the other finalists in the competition in the video below, a truly remarkable collection from the minds designing our futures.



It's clear that Electrolux's visionary open innovation competition has given an opportunity to students around the world to unleash their creativity, and design the products of tomorrow, today.

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