Great news! You've got two extra weeks to submit your brilliant ideas to the FirstBuild Micro-Kitchen Challenge. The deadline for entries has been extended to July 02, 2014. Based on our community’s feedback, we've made it easier than ever to enter the challenge to be eligible for one of four $2,500 grand prizes.
Have you submitted your idea yet? If not, click here to learn how to participate in the Micro-Kitchen Challenge today.
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As urbanization and population growth is increasing, living space size is also decreasing. We need to re-imagine a growing challenge for city dwellers--to create a fully functional micro-kitchen that works better in small spaces.
Our Challenge to You
New York City, like many metropoligtan areas across the globe, is increasing in urbanization and population growth, while steadily decreasing the sizes of living spaces. Urban dwellers in cities everywhere are often faced with a small space that isn't functionally up to date. GE is looking to designers, engineers and makers everywhere, to help design and engineer a fully functional micro-kitchen with appliances that work better in smaller spaces. We want to make it easier for people to get things done.
Welcome to the “BigApps” Micro-Kitchen Challenge, presented by the NYC Economic Development Council and GE’s FirstBuild Community. Help us solve a widespread problem facing urban dwellers: a small kitchen but big plans. We need you to help solve the engineering and design challenges to tailor a fully functioning 7 linear foot kitchen to a small footprint space and metropolitan lifestyle.
Your idea is only the beginning—and this competition isn’t the end. For winners, we want your help further developing your concept—to build a prototype of your design, get it into the hands of consumers, and potentially produce it for the tens of thousands of homes across the globe. Winners will receive not just a cash prize but, if the product is successful, your design will physically be helping urban dwellers live better lives through better homes across the globe.
The Micro-Kitchen: Big Ideas for Small Spaces
Your Kitchen Mission: How would you solve the difficult engineering and design challenges in creating a functional kitchen for such a small space? Assume you are given a 7ft x 25in space. What would your design look like? What features?
The Impact: Making the best of a small space isn’t a problem unique to NYC. A micro-kitchen gives urban dwellers an opportunity to optimize space in a savvy way. In partnership, we want to take your designs from mind to market—meaning your design could end up in homes across the globe!
Our Micro-kitchen Challenge begins May 15th! Submit your ideas at the Micro-Kitchen project page on https://firstbuild.com/mary/big-apps-micro-kitchen-challenge/ !
Product Wish List
Requirements:
● Must be no wider than 7 feet
● Must be no deeper than 25 inches
● A consumer must be able to refrigerate, cook and clean with this design. Must include the following items:
○ Cooking surface
○ Microwave or an Oven (can include both)
○ Sink
○ Fridge
● Must be all electric
Guidelines:
● Standard counter top height is 36 inches
● Standard elements in many kitchens: Refrigerator with Freezer, Oven, Microwave, Dishwasher, Sink, Garbage Disposal
● Think compact—ideally, a micro-kitchen that could fit in a NYC elevator, stairwell, or through a window
● Should include electrical and water hookups.
● Assume water and electric hookups can be moved anywhere.
● All elements should have a clearly operable interface.
● The design should be able to fit with any kitchen appearance
● Designs should use technologies readily available within the next 3-5 years
Deliverables:
● Images of Complete Micro-Kitchen concept (.jpg or .dae) (max file size 2mb per image):
○ Front View
○ Top View
○ Environment Front View (hope to procure a standard environment for everyone to use)
○ View with callouts outlining each element/appliance
○ Optional View
● Optional CAD File (.igs or .step)
○ Single Assembly with all parts included
● Optional Video
● Written Description:
○ Explanation of each element/appliance in your Micro-Kitchen concept and its features (need specifications)—how you’re solving for engineering and design challenges:
○ Max 300 Words (1500 Character limit)
Prizes
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Top 4 winners will each receive $2,500.
Top 4 winners will receive mentorship through to final round.
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Winning designs have the opportunity to be brought to life and marketed globally!
Evaluation Criteria
Objective Criteria:
● Challenge Begins: Submit your micro-kitchen ideas on FirstBuild (www.firstbuild.com) starting May 15th, 2014!
● Deadline: Submissions must be entered on FirstBuild site by July 2nd, 2014 at 11:59PM EDT
● Requirements & Deliverables: Does this entry meet the challenge requirements and deliverables?
Subjective Criteria:
● Overall, do you feel this entry appropriately captures and incorporates the challenge guidelines?
● Is this something that could be brought to life?
● Do you like the aesthetics of the actual design (not just the aesthetics of the presentation)?
● Would you want this micro-kitchen in your home? Would it improve the overall feel of your home?
● If it were actually in your home, would you use this micro-kitchen? Does it best optimize your kitchen space?
● Does this micro-kitchen seem attainable and accessible? Something you could see in your kitchen as opposed to just in a high end condo or magazine?
Judging Criteria (rated on a scale of 1-10, 10=excellent):
● Usability
● Aesthetics
● Manufacturability
● Innovation
The FirstBuild community will choose the Top 10 designs through a variety of comments, likes, etc. From there, our Judges Panel will select the Top 4 designs from the Top 10 community-selected designs. The Top 4 winners will each receive a cash prize as well as be moved on to the BigApps Product Showcase.
Judges will include five high profile designers and innovators:
Graham Hill of TED Talk fame; founder of Life Edited; and one with a passion for doing more with less
Steve Diskin of the Pratt Institute, Industrial Design Chair
Alex Tepper of GE Corporate, Global Director of Innovation
Venkat Venkatakrishnan of FirstBuild, Lead Facilitator
Lou Lenzi of GE Appliances, Director of Industrial Design
BigIdea Mentors
Mary
Engineering, Water Products and Hydraulics
Dave
Design, Consumer Products
Justin
Engineering, Refrigeration and Food/beverage
Things of Note
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Coming Soon!
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