A FORRES student could well be cleaning up financially if his design for a revolutionary new washing machine is taken up by electrical giants Electrolux. In a special project sponsored by the Electrolux Group, Simon Graves, a final year student on Northumbria University’s award-winning “Design for Industry” course, was asked to join fellow students to develop futuristic household appliance solutions for 2010. The appliances needed to capture Electrolux customers’ hearts as well as their minds, and be not only attractive in design, but provide people with reliable and trustworthy solutions to make everyday household chores easier and so give them more time to enjoy life.
Simon’s project, the “Soket”, is a revolutionary washing machine designed to make washing clothes a positive experience. Rather than the single drum found in conventional washers, the Soket holds several small “discs” or “baskets”, which are slotted into the machine allowing several different programmes to be run simultaneously. “It is only a concept at the moment,” said Simon, a 27-year-old former Royal Engineer.
“However, I have heard that Electrolux are considering taking it to the product development stage and it could possibly be in the shops by the end of 2004.”
Simple and fun to use, the idea is that each member of the family has their own “basket” and is responsible for their own laundry, thus removing the onus on Mum!
And if anyone is worried that their washing will come out a different colour without Mum’s eagle eye to spot that random red sock, the machine’s easy-to-read LCD screen will alert you to possible wash cycle errors by communicating a description of the items in the basket and the most suitable wash programme for the load. Each basket also has its own wash powder container. Simon said: “I’ve really enjoyed designing the Soket and it’s been a great experience for me to work with a big company like Electrolux which is at the forefront of innovation.”
Speaking to the “Gazette” last week, Simon said that Electrolux gave money to Northumbria University to fund the Design for Industry course. “Students are given a project brief and asked to develop something innovative, or perhaps redevelop existing products. It is a good example of co-operation between university and industry. It is a two-way thing. They get the fresh ideas from the students, we get experience of practical work in industry.”
Simon, who goes into his final year of his BA (Hons) Design in Industry course late this year, attended Forres Academy for all his secondary schooling while his father was serving at RAF Kinloss. His mother, Kath, still lives in Forbeshill. Krista Webb, design manager at the Electrolux Industrial Design Studio in Spennymoor, said: “Appliance manufacturers like ourselves, must focus on real products and services, with real benefits, for real people, if they are to help make life easier and more convenient for ordinary householders.
“These insights, so well articulated by the students’ designs, are at the core of how Electrolux approaches innovation. “We are delighted with these final concepts as well as to be showing our support for home grown talent. Students like Simon are our industry’s future.”
So how did Simon come up with his idea? “We worked as a group initially, and spent a great deal of time brainstorming.
“We figured out what we didn’t like about doing the washing and tried to come up with something better.”
When he graduates next year, Simon would like to make a career for himself in the industrial product design world.
From The Forres Gazette