Comments on: MXSF 2007: The Role of Metrics in Whirlpool http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/02/13/mxsf-2007-the-role-of-metrics-in-whirlpool/ Adaptive Path Blog Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:14:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Weekly Linkage [02-16-07] at Experience Planner by Scott Weisbrod http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/02/13/mxsf-2007-the-role-of-metrics-in-whirlpool/#comment-47210 Weekly Linkage [02-16-07] at Experience Planner by Scott Weisbrod Fri, 16 Feb 2007 20:15:37 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/02/13/mxsf-2007-the-role-of-metrics-in-whirlpool/#comment-47210 [...] The Role of Metrics in Whirlpool [Adaptive Path] [...] [...] The Role of Metrics in Whirlpool [Adaptive Path] [...]

]]> By: Cameron http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/02/13/mxsf-2007-the-role-of-metrics-in-whirlpool/#comment-46748 Cameron Thu, 15 Feb 2007 01:36:02 +0000 http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2007/02/13/mxsf-2007-the-role-of-metrics-in-whirlpool/#comment-46748 I'm doing some research at the moment on servicization (for enhanced ecological sustainability) of 'clothes care' (already a big conceptual and behavioural shift from 'washing') - something that has already been 'foresighted' as part of the <a HREF="www.sushouse.tudelft.nl" rel="nofollow">SusHouse project</A> and implemented as a a few more or less successful business innovation by Electrolux. Two lateral paths then in response to your whirlpool encounter: 1) think laundromat not washing machine; brand the (most efficient and highest quality) outcome, rather than the means; convince the company to go follow the 'profit pool' (the higher margins of service delivery) rather than hope that this or that look or this or that feature will save them from the 'death of demand' in the over-saturated whitegood market. Study the behaviour of laundromat usage, the fact that so many (in places that historically obstruct residential private laundries) find them so convenient, and end up with something like <a HREF="http://business.fluidtime.com/index.php?id=business_prod_share" rel="nofollow">Fluidshare</A>. Remember that when urbanisation started happening in a big way, a group of material feminists cheered because it would at last mean the industrialisation, ie re-socialisation of laundering, allowing women to gather around collective and efficient facilities, and possibly even get paid for domestic labour - see <I>The Grand Domestic Revolution</I> by Dolores Hayden. 2) wonder why washing machines, no matter how sexy their design, are located in the worst parts of any house/apartment - the basement, some cupboard, the toilet. Do a time-motion-map of the washing process - collect dirty laundry, sort for washing, wash, dry, sort for folding or ironing, store, wear - you'll see that you need to walk from one end of the house/apartment to the other several times. Architects (the least user-centred of the design professions?) have almost never thought to design houses around one of the their 3 key functions (clothes care, in addition to eating and sleeping). Perhaps the design innovation comes from thinking about the laundering system in association with the interior built environment - eg washing machines closer to wardrobes; drying cabinets and airing/refreshing facilites. Or in association with the fashion industry - eg spot cleaning, removable components. I’m doing some research at the moment on servicization (for enhanced ecological sustainability) of ‘clothes care’ (already a big conceptual and behavioural shift from ‘washing’) - something that has already been ‘foresighted’ as part of the SusHouse project and implemented as a a few more or less successful business innovation by Electrolux. Two lateral paths then in response to your whirlpool encounter:

1) think laundromat not washing machine; brand the (most efficient and highest quality) outcome, rather than the means; convince the company to go follow the ‘profit pool’ (the higher margins of service delivery) rather than hope that this or that look or this or that feature will save them from the ‘death of demand’ in the over-saturated whitegood market. Study the behaviour of laundromat usage, the fact that so many (in places that historically obstruct residential private laundries) find them so convenient, and end up with something like Fluidshare. Remember that when urbanisation started happening in a big way, a group of material feminists cheered because it would at last mean the industrialisation, ie re-socialisation of laundering, allowing women to gather around collective and efficient facilities, and possibly even get paid for domestic labour - see The Grand Domestic Revolution by Dolores Hayden.

2) wonder why washing machines, no matter how sexy their design, are located in the worst parts of any house/apartment - the basement, some cupboard, the toilet. Do a time-motion-map of the washing process - collect dirty laundry, sort for washing, wash, dry, sort for folding or ironing, store, wear - you’ll see that you need to walk from one end of the house/apartment to the other several times. Architects (the least user-centred of the design professions?) have almost never thought to design houses around one of the their 3 key functions (clothes care, in addition to eating and sleeping). Perhaps the design innovation comes from thinking about the laundering system in association with the interior built environment - eg washing machines closer to wardrobes; drying cabinets and airing/refreshing facilites. Or in association with the fashion industry - eg spot cleaning, removable components.

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