Electrolux: Design Lab competition for Aspiring Industrial Designers

Electrolux, a global leader in domestic and professional appliances, has launched the 6th edition of its annual competition, Design Lab, inviting industrial design students around the world to create tomorrow’s home appliances for the Internet generation.

Judged on the criteria of intuitive design, innovation, and consumer insight, the 2008 competition is calling for product submissions that are 2-3 years into the future and marketed towards the Internet generation - brand-conscious, busy young professionals who are concerned about the environment, and whose lives are intertwined with technology and online social networks.

“We are looking for daring ideas and solutions,” says Henrik Otto, Head of Global Design at Electrolux. “Entries should reflect the iGeneration’s core interests and concerns like mobility, convenience, time, materials, personalization, entertaining, technology, and sustainability.”

Since 2003, thousands of international design students have participated in the Electrolux Design Lab competition, including young Australians.

In 2004, a team of students from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, won the competition with their Rockpool waterless dishwasher, which used carbon dioxide instead of water to wash the dishes.

“Electrolux Design Lab is a great opportunity for Australian design students to express their ideas on sustainable product development and showcase their talent at an international level, said Lars Erikson, Design Director for Electrolux Australia.

Last year’s competition, “Green designs for 2020”, was won by a Hungarian design student with E-wash, a compact washing machine that uses soap nuts instead of detergent.

The Design Lab 2008 has a first prize of 5,000 Euro and a six month internship at one of Electrolux’s global design centres.

Entries must be submitted by May 30, 2008 via www.electrolux.com/designlab. The finalist entries will then compete in Zurich at the international finals in October, where a winner will be announced and prizes awarded.