Pinoy Students to Design Hi-Tech Appliances

 Swedish firm Electrolux, a 90-year-old manufacturer of household appliances, has swung the door wide open for Filipino students to participate in a program that will give them a first-hand exposure with the company's product design and visual merchandising.

The electronics company is trying to implement its initiative in two folds—by conducting a competition called "Design Lab" and by entering into an internship program with the College of Fine Arts (CFA) of the University of the Philippines.

In its partnership deal with UP, Electrolux will award five CFA students with internships at the company's manufacturing facilities. It will also give grants to outstanding thesis projects of industrial students who will generate "fresh and innovative designs aligned with the programs of the Design Lab of Electrolux."

At the signing of the memorandum of agreement on Tuesday, UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio S. Cao also revealed that the CFA is "hoping" to launch an Institute for Design and Creative Technologies where design projects can be collaborated with the private sector in a "multidisciplinary" approach.

In the design contest, Filipino industrial design and visual communication students can send their "design" of home appliances to win local and global prizes, as well as training opportunities at Electrolux's global design centers.

The theme of the competition delves on space-saving ideas that will shape how families prepare and store food, wash clothes, and do dishes. According to the company, 74 percent of the world's population is predicted to live in an urban environment by the year 2050, emphasizing the need for space efficiency.

Electrolux said special consideration will be given to entries that consider a range or suite of appliances. Design ideas should also address key consumer requirements: green technology, adaptability to time and space, and flexibility for individualization.

The winner for the Philippine competition will get an exposure trip to the Electrolux manufacturing plant in Rayong, Thailand. The second and third placers will each get a P15,000 thesis grant.

Global prizes, on the other hand, include a first prize of 5,000 Euros and a six-month paid internship at one of the Electrolux global design centers. The runner-up winners will be given 3,000 Euros and 2,000 Euros respectively.


David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

Posted in: Pinoy Students to Design Hi-Tech Appliances