Transforming a household cleaning tool into a piece of furnishing was the challenge of the "Dual Life" design contest by NABA and Leifheit. Students developed and realised a series of innovative accessories that changed the product's functionality. Design Area selected projects were showcased at the Milan campus on 9 June, on the occasion of the Fuori Salone 2022.
The planning and development of design prototypes
The "Dual Life" experience went beyond the competition to become a very design workshop. Its focus was the Clean Twist Disc Mop Ergo, Leifheit's flagship floor cleaning product. Supervised by project leader Matteo Ragni (NABA lecturer), ten pairs of students designed a series of accessories and innovative systems. Then they developed prototypes in the modelling labs equipped with 3D printers, laser cutting and CNC milling machines. These rooms play a central role in the Design Area's didactic programmes. They give students the chance to take part in the entire work process, enriching their knowledge with fundamental practical skills in the field of product design.
Prototypes selected by the partner were on show during the Milan Design Week. "Twist Karaoke" by Edoardo Micheletti and Aljbon Shkrepi was the winning project. Special mentions went to "Sunny Coffee Table" by Gianni Iraci and Ivan Raimondi and "Mopfit" by Federico Antognozzi and Allegra Virginia Caneva. The jury was made up of Claudio Larcher (NABA Design Area Leader), Paolo Arcuri (field sales manager of Leifheit Italia), Daniela D'Arcangelo (national account manager of Leifheit Italia) and Simone Sbarbati (designer and editor and co-founder of the online magazine Frizzifrizzi).
