February 2013 • Observed
Stimulating Concepts
Electrolux challenged students to design for all the senses.
By Paul Makovsky
PROJECT
Electrolux Design Lab 2012 Competition
www.electroluxdesignlab.com
What will the future of household and cooking appliances look like? That’s the question the annual Electrolux Design Lab competition posed for its tenth anniversary last year, challenging students to provide a fuller sensory experience. The top honor, among 1,200 entrants from around the globe, went to Jan Ankiersztajn, a Polish design student who took home a 5,000-Euro prize and a six-month paid internship at an Electrolux design center for his Aeroball floating air purifier concept. “Design Lab started as a search for talented people,” says Stefano Marzano, Electrolux’s chief design officer. “On top of this, we are also looking at what the issues and the sensitivities are that they bring from the academic world, without limits from corporations.” Quick-thinking design students are encouraged to enter this year’s competition on urbanization—the fast-approaching first submission deadline is March 15.
Aeroball Air Purifier
Jan Ankiersztajn
Uniwersytet Artystyczny w Poznaniu
Jan Ankiersztajn’s winning concept cleans and filters the air in your home while hovering in place using helium-and-oxygen-filled balloons. Inspired by fireflies, the shell of the floating, filigreed spheres absorbs light during the day and glows at night. Ankiersztajn has also proposed a scented version of the Aeroball.
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