Electrolux Group has once again partnered with the esteemed Umeå Institute of Design (UID) in Sweden, inviting design students to innovate home appliance concepts tailored for individuals with disabilities.
This marks the seventh year of collaboration, where teams of advanced product design students have just three weeks to bring their ideas to life. Embracing the theme “Design for All Abilities,” four teams have crafted distinctive products aimed at enhancing usability for those facing challenges such as impaired vision and arthritis.
“These gifted students truly immersed themselves in the experiences of consumers,” remarked Timo Mashiyi-Veikkola, Head of Design Research at Electrolux Group. “Their inventive solutions not only facilitate ease of use for a variety of disabilities but also prioritize safety and visual appeal. These innovative concepts resonate with our Human Touch design philosophy, which emphasizes empathy and quality in design.”
In the featured image, student Sharvin Sawant demonstrates the challenges of arthritic hands while evaluating a prototype of their team’s creation. Discover more about their ELVA design and the other three remarkable concepts below.
ELVA
Elva is a semi-built-in hot beverage maker designed to reduce the risk of burns and to require very little arm strength. Lowering the pouring module minimizes the risk of hot water spilling, and the user selects the desired water temperature with a simple slider. Signals are acoustic and visual, not textual.
ALVA
Alva is a dehumidifier whose top-positioned water tank enables effortless refilling and an ergonomic handle ensures a secure grip. The tank pops up when full and has a flat side so that it can be set down for emptying. The control interface is simplified, it can be operated by voice commands, and the companion app enables remote operation. It doubles as a drying rack.
EASE
With a top-loading mechanism, the EASE oven eliminates the physical strain of bending and lifting required by traditional ovens. Users slide dishes onto a tray at countertop level and the oven lowers it into the heat cavity. It features single-button control, high-contrast lighting and clear visual indicators to enable an easier, safer cooking experience.
AUTOCARE
Autocare reduces the effort required to do laundry with a large, tactile knob, a font designed for the visually impaired, and an intelligent interface that remembers favorite cycles and responds to voice activation. It features an autodosing system using detergent sheets rather than heavy liquid, and a lint compressor for less frequent emptying.
Working with Electrolux Group on these design sprints is always a fulfilling experience, remarks Thomas Degn, Associate Professor and Director of the MFA Advanced Product Design Program at UID. “It serves as a practical evaluation of our students’ abilities and inspires us all to envision a better future through design.”
The partnership between Electrolux Group and UID is spearheaded by Martin Alexanderson, Senior Design Lead for Air Care, and Timo Mashiyi-Veikkola, Director of Design Research, alongside Thomas Degn from UID.
Past themes of this collaboration have explored innovative designs for an AI-assisted home robot as the main user (2023), solutions for single individuals in compact living spaces (2022), and designs for multi-generational households (2021).