Electrolux is not your traditional run-of-the-mill appliance brand. It is very much a taste of what the future will look like, at least in your kitchen. Go to its sleek, elegantly designed website and you will find numerous expensive but well-reviewed products. Besides their “living green” mentality and contemporary kitchenware, their most conspicuous trait is a focus on innovation. To this end, they hold an annual Design Lab contest, inviting designers all over the world to submit their ideas.
According to Henrik Otto, senior vice president of Global Design at Electrolux, “The 2011 Electrolux Design Lab has drawn some very clever responses to what has been our toughest brief since the annual challenge began nine years ago.” Narrowed down from 1300, the top 25 contenders represent countries all around the world. Ranging from a portable dish dryer, to a smoothie machine disguised as a child’s toy, all the designs are unquestionably inspired.
And the company does not limit itself to this one event. In conjunction with the challenge’s theme of ‘intelligent mobility,’ Dragan Trenchevski has revealed his own projects. A 22-year-old industrial design student from Skopje, Macedonia, he has a few ideas on how to make a kitchen appliance more multi-purpose. For example, he is pioneering the Electrolux mobile kitchen, a combination of stove, cutting board and laptop.
The idea is to look up recipes, cooking videos and other helpful culinary aids while exchanging ideas with others via webcam. By using induction heating, the surface can be controlled as to the exact temperature needed for specific dishes. Naturally, critics are pointing out that it is dangerous to have heat in such close proximity to the more delicate features of a computer, and that it will be very messy. Others argue that while the design itself might need some practical modifications, it is a very handy idea for campers, outdoor enthusiasts and busy travelers.
According to many well-respected judges of the business world, their approach is on the right track. Forbes Magazine lists them as one of the top 5 companies in consumer goods worldwide and one of 130 Global High Performers. To be a contender, Forbes celebrated companies that are “ industry leaders who are making strategic moves to help navigate through these tough economic times.” And with regards to various sources, Electrolux is ranked right behind Whirlpool as an internationally favored kitchen appliance provider.
In the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, as of September 9th, Electrolux is the Durable Household Products Sector Leader and has improved its score since 2010. Graded on criteria such as corporate management and climate-change mitigation, this report separates the environmentalists from the industrialists.
Especially considering how pricey some of the Electrolux kitchen gadgets are, their green approach helps even the scales. They are redeemed by their desire to find avant-garde designs that are both environmentally friendly and forward thinking. And say what you will about Dragan Trenchevski, his projects are a step in the same direction.
Edited by
Jennifer Russell
