Ali Kajuee from Iran wins for his eco-friendly design, called “Ecoquina” [Image credit: AHMED KUTTY/Gulf News]
In order to better understand the needs of their consumers, and in particular their younger consumers in the Middle East, LG Electronics launched a three-month competition for what it referred to as “Conceptualife” kitchen design. The company appealed to students all over the Middle East and African region in order to find out where this generation of designers feels should go into a kitchen.
Hamad Malek, the LG Director of marketing and communications for LG in the Middle East and Africa, said that “we feel great ideas can come from raw fresh minds, hence the students. The sheer design and technology elements incorporated into the designs gives us a good understanding of what consumers are looking for.”
Nine hundred university students entered the initial part of the competition, which was eventually narrowed down to a shortlist of eight students from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and South Africa.
The winner, announced a few weeks ago and pictured above, was Ali Kajuee from Iran. His eco-friendly design, called “Ecoquina” featured a combination of Eastern and Western aesthetics. The design also included visible water tanks (to remind consumers of their water usage and urge them to be more water efficient). Water efficiency was a common theme among many of the contestants’ designs.
Reiterating the motive behind the competition, Mr. Ki Wan Kim, CEO of LG Electronics Middle East & Africa, said that “we want to tap into the youngest and brightest minds across the region and offer them the opportunity to show off their skills to the greater public. This competition will provide us with invaluable insight into where the next generation of consumers perceive product designs and features to be heading.”
Hopefully the next generation of consumers is heading in a greener direction. We look forward to seeing more designs like “Ecoquina” in the future.
Read more about ways you can go green in your kitchen right now::
12 Tips for Saving Water in the Kitchen
NatureMill’s Urban Compost Device for Composting in Cities and Apartments
Think Again: Cook Up Some New Ideas For Using Those Dusty Kitchen Appliances
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
