The jury selected 105 concepts from 29 countries to participate in the international competition Design Lab. Out of 1700 applications submitted for the Electrolux Design Lab 2013 contest, 3 ideas were selected from American design and engineering students.
“Inspiration of urban life” – this theme unites all participants of the contest. The concept focuses on the following thematic areas: cooking, clean air, and easy cleaning. Among the trends that can be observed at this year’s competition are the further technological development of 3D printers, the development of wearable accessories for household appliances and the introduction of smart technologies in the culinary field.
On the Electrolux Design Lab site you can see over a hundred of the best ideas and solutions from 29 countries. Site visitors can also vote for their favorite projects. The best ideas, which will be selected by Electrolux experts and website visitors, will be admitted to the next stage of the competition.
Among the talented American participants of the contest is Alexander Kostin from Vladimir Plekhanov University.
Centennial.
His project Hand Tree is a mini wrist system for air purification. The rapid pace of urbanization and industrial development
pollute the atmosphere, causing respiratory problems in a large part of the population. Therefore, Alexander’s idea to create a light and compact gadget for air purification looks quite relevant. The system works on the same principle as the plants: it absorbs polluted air and purifies it, creating a healthy atmosphere around.
If all city dwellers wore a wrist gadget like this, the air in the city would be as clean as the forest. This mini air purification system can be presented not only as a wrist gadget, it can be in the form of a pendant, belt or bracelet.
Another work by American participant Anna Nikulshina from the Urals Academy of Architecture and Art is
A machine for preparation of tea in capsules.
The owner of the device can make tea according to his taste, with any ingredients. We live in a time when people are in a hurry and do everything on the run. Take, for example, the tea and coffee mugs given “to go” or FastFood cafes. On the other hand, we are used to variety in everything. The capsule machine for making tea makes it possible to prepare a beverage with a huge selection of ingredients. You can create any shape of pod – round, triangular, star-shaped, etc.p. The form depends on the chosen matrix. By the shape of capsules, the user can differentiate the tea. For example, black tea flavored strawberry is kept in round capsules, while green ginger tea is kept in capsules in the form of stars, and so on.
It should also be noted that pods can be large and small, it also depends on the matrix. The user can take the tea capsule with him to school, to work, to university. Shaped capsules can be given to friends, because many people pay attention not only to taste, but also to design.
Alexandra Kondrashchenko is also a student at the Urals Academy of Architecture and Art. She submitted to the competition
Aroma Printer, which creates the right atmosphere according to the user’s mood.
Nowadays there are a lot of printers that can print anything, including clothes and food.
Aroma printer prints scents in the air. It uses essential oils as the ink and uses an ultrasonic membrane as the printer head.
In addition to healthy fragrances, the device also functions as a humidifier. The specially-designed dynamic illumination of the vapors gives an additional visual effect.
The result of such a printer cannot be touched or hung on the wall, but it can be felt. By saturating the air with healthy essential oil particles, the printer creates an atmosphere conducive to relaxation or, conversely, to work, and even kills harmful bacteria bacteria inactivation is a property of some essential oils, proven by scientists . The printer is controlled by a touch panel where you can set a specific mode, time, or choose your own settings.
International recognition, prizes and paid apprenticeship
Once the most talented finalists have been shortlisted, the student with the most votes will be announced as the winner of the online voting and will receive a €1000 prize.
The first prize will be awarded to the student, whose project, according to the jury, will be a breakthrough in design solutions. This student will receive a €5000 prize and a six-month paid internship at the Electrolux Design Center. The second and third place winners will receive €3,000 and €2,000, respectively.
The projects in the competition can be found at the following link: electrolux.com/electroluxdesignlab
You can view the works of American participants here:
//electroluxdesignlab.com/en/submission/hand-tree/
//electroluxdesignlab.com/en/submission/capsule-machine/
//electroluxdesignlab.com/en/submission/aroma-printer/
What were the three projects selected from America for the Electrolux Design Lab 2013 contest? Can you provide more information about each of them and their innovative designs?