Home appliance manufacturer Ebac has launched a new website to ask the real experts, namely consumers, what they really want from a washing machine.
According to Ebac, the UK washing machine market currently consists of hundreds of machines, all similar in design and functionality with confusing terminology, technology and features that are rarely used.
Ebac’s team is convinced that the key to giving customers the product they want is to give them a platform to tell its designers what they would like from the next generation washing machine that really will be designed by consumers, for consumers.
This ‘build your own washer’ website has been developed by Ebac to enable consumers to choose the features and specification that are important to them. They can select from a range of wash programmes, functions, user interfaces and colours.
Ebac are encouraging interaction through the website with the addition of social media functionality so visitors can share their custom designs with friends and family.
Ebac has invested £7m in the development of washing machines, and has built collaborations with appliance experts, with over 30,000 man hours provided in research and development. This has given Ebac an understanding of washing machine technology and manufacture. Already to date the company has had over 3,500 consumers’ input and feedback from research to truly understand their needs.
Ebac managing director Pamela Petty said: “This is a great chance for a wide range of people to get involved in informing the new generation of British-made washing machines – and to tell us what their perfect product would be. These machines are being developed for use by people in this country, so now they can come online and tell us exactly what they want from an appliance. While we have done a wide range of research in the past, none is as important as the information we receive from people who actually use washing machines; these are the real experts.”
Senior product manager Darren Feasey added: “The information will be used in conjunction with our own experience and expertise to design the machines, so that they are as user-friendly as possible. Many of today’s washing machines have far more programmes and gadgets than they need to have, most of which go completely unused. We plan to produce a simpler machine that does what the home owner wants, reliably and without complication.”
Ebac washing machines will be launching in late 2014.
