The “Eureka Coop” project between Martini Spa and Coop Italia. This project starts from the will to create a new line of household care products with a “democratic design“. The main idea is that beauty can live together with functionality without making impossible prices.
So the two partners established a work team of 12 young Italian designers, led by the experience of Giulio Iacchetti, inventor and co-ordinator of the project.
The team created 12 household products for everyday use converted in useful and pleasant tools with accessible prices. These products were officially presented on the 15th of February 2008, in Turin.
The project development
In 2005, during the Design Week at the show “Salone del Mobile” in Milan, the partners presented 20 designs of household products made by 19 designers. On March 2006 the 20 prototypes were presented during a touring exhibition which took place in the Coop stores of Italy: Milan, Genova, Rome, Bologna, Perugia and Bari. Scope of the touring was gathering Coop’s members and consumers advice regarding the prototypes. Consumers selected the 12 definitive products, with their 12.000 votes.
Martini Spa played an important role in the industrialization, production and distribution phases of Eureka household products: from a simple design, through many trials and changes, to the final product, supported by the choice of the most severe judge, the consumer.
The designers
The team, headed by Giulio Iacchetti, was made of a new generation of designers. Their names are: Enrico Azzimonti, Carlo Contin, Lorenzo Damiani, DeepDesign (Matteo Bazzicalupo and Raffaella Mangiarotti), Odoardo Fioravanti, Ilaria Gibertini, JoeVelluto, Miriam Mirri, Matteo Ragni, Paolo Ulian.
The leaders statements
“This is a unique collection. To us a real bet, born in 2005 when the designer Giulio Iacchetti, contacted us and propose a study on everyday products together with 19 young Italian designers.”
Domenico Brisigotti, Coop private label manager
“Working with Coop and developing the idea of a “democratic design” was not only an exciting challenge but also the awareness of having opened a new route for the Italian design.”
Giulio Iacchetti, designer and coordinator of the work team
“Accepting the COOP proposal and managing the production process of the 12 prototypes was very gratifying and exciting for us. These challenges happen just a few times in a company history. The experience achieved in 40 years of activity was decisive to reach the goal to produce products with different materials (fabric, aluminium, plastic, soap).”
Fulvio Martini, Chairman of Martini S.p.A.
The final products:
. Miriam Mirri – Plunger with pliers to catch little objects,
. Carlo Contin – Hangable kitchen sponge, to wash easily cutlery and glasses
. Paolo Ulian – Lintglove, cupboard hangable
. Ilaria Gibertini – Plastic clothes dryer with cover to protect laundry against rain and dust
. Matteo Ragni – Ergonomic basin (15 lt) for an easy carrying that reduce efforts. With useful peg keeper.
. Giulio Iacchetti – Clothes pegs in polycarbonate: 12 pcs together in a round shape element,
. Deep Design (Matteo Bazzicalupo & Raffaella Mangiarotti) – Toilet brush with detergent tank,
. Odoardo Fioravanti – Carpetbeater, a new concept
. Enrico Azzimonti – Washing board, useful also during your trips,
. Lorenzo Damiani – Adhesive felt pads – multiple sizes
. Joe Velluto – New interpretation of Marsiglia Soap (available also with washing brush with ergonomic shape for a better handling).
