Get into the groove – Electrolux QuickSelect nudges dishwashers towards sustainability

How can we encourage users of dishwashers to choose the most environmentally friendly cycle program, when research tells us most people can’t even differentiate between two different programs? “Challenge accepted!” said the Electrolux design team, and came up with the now award-winning QuickSelect feature.

Using a dishwasher is generally a much more sustainable option for cleaning your dishes than hand washing (wasting less energy and water). Consumers can influence their impact even more by picking the right cycle program.

This, however, can be a problem as Electrolux research into consumer behavior has found that conventional dishwasher cycle programs, such as ‘intensive wash’ and ‘normal wash’, often are not fully understood. Adding to the potential consumer confusion: the longest program tends to be the most energy-efficient option.

To find a solution, Electrolux brought together a cross-functional team to early in the product development process conduct two rounds of lean testing – an agile and iterative method that quickly establishes what works and what doesn’t. The prototypes were also rigorously tested among consumers.

The result: a completely intuitive interface. As the user slides a finger along a groove to choose cycle length, and selects additional options, the Ecometer on the interface changes using audio-visual cues to indicate the eco performance of the current setting.

The QuickSelect interface has been highly appreciated by consumers – achieving a consumer star rating of 4.7 by the end of 2019. In 2019, it was also recognized with iF and Red Dot Design awards.