Designing home appliances for modern Chinese lifestyles – and smaller living spaces
Hong Kong-based Michael Young designed Haier’s new Leader range, including modular fridges that can be clipped together
Tell us about your latest project. “The brief was to design a range of products for first-time homebuyers in China. They wanted to appeal to people outside first-, second- and third-tier cities – they wanted a product that would appeal to new generations in fourth- and fifth-tier cities. The fridge is the first test.
“Market research found the older generation was being replaced by people who were demanding more. They wanted something that would be a piece of furniture;flats are getting smaller, down to less than 300 square feet in some places.”
What makes this fridge different? “We designed it so that when people get older and have children they can buy another unit and it works in combination with their existing unit. That was our attempt to be ecological; rather than throwing your fridge away, you subscribe to a system where you get a discounted price on a second unit.
“People will buy a new house, they will take the fridge with them and if they have more space, they will get a second unit.”
How does the modular function work? “You can attach each unit – it’s not something you stand next to the existing fridge. It clips on to become one unit.”
