Laura Lebeau, Product Design, Class of 2017
Laura Lebeau was one of the shortlisted candidates for the prestigious Dyson Award for her project ECCO.
Laura completed her thesis in Product Design successfully and is currently a graduate intern. At almost 1 month of the official graduation, we wanted to know more about her project and her aspirations for beginning her career as a designer.
– Hello Laura, You’ll be graduating from Strate this year in Product Design. What was your background before entering school?
I went directly to Strate after a scientific baccalaureate with an audio/visual cinema elective.
– Can you tell us about your Ecco project? What is your observation? What made you want to tackle this subject?
Ecco is an eco-designed and empowering kettle. Simple to assemble, its parts are easy to replace in case of a problem. The gauge, noted both in cups and litres, instinctively helps to fill the kettle economically.
In France, 20kg of electrical appliances are discarded per capita per year, and 80% of failed appliances are discarded directly rather than repaired. Faced with this huge mess and the frenzied purchase of new devices, few initiatives exist. When you look at home appliances, the repair is complicated, often expensive, and presents a risk for the amateur who tries to disassemble.
It is from the most usual objects that I chose to think about a new way to consume household appliances, starting with the kettle, an omnipresent object in European homes.
– You are a finalist of the James Dyson prize. What does it represent for you?
This is an opportunity for me to publicize the project, of course, but I think it can also show that all the objects around us, even the most obvious, can be redesigned entirely.
– Do you think of going further in the development of this project after this?
I do not know at all! For now, I am thinking of working in different areas and countries to progress, before perhaps starting the development of a project. I will be happy to see Ecco, or at least its principles, see the light of day.
– You will receive your diploma next month; how do you envisage following? Do you have tracks? Wishes?
I am currently studying at the Big Game in Lausanne, Switzerland. I’m thinking about what’s next! I would love to work in a product design studio or global design, always wanting to stay close to modeling and materials!
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