WWU Industrial Design student David Griffin wins first place in international student-design competition

Industrial Design student David Griffin has won first place in the International Housewares Association’s 32nd annual Global Innovation Awards Excellence in Student Design competition for his Helios induction heating module, a piece of kitchenware that assists users in preparing and reheating meals. Griffin will be awarded the Grand prize of $3,500 and the opportunity to showcase his work to leading industry professionals at The Inspired Home Show from March 2-4 in Chicago.

“This is the first project I’ve ever submitted to any competition. Last year I was planning to enter the competition, but realized that my design didn’t quite fit the criteria. So this year was about revisiting the competition,” Griffin said. “I didn’t really have high confidence, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear that I’d won an award.” 

Unlike a hot plate, the Helios module uses induction heating to warm food without burning the user’s hand. Helios includes a storage container that is placed in the heating module and then the food is ready to consume, which prevents the hassle of transferring food from a container to a plate. The module’s precise heating technology evenly heats dishes for culinary consistency, unlike microwaves that often overcook or undercook food and leave it cold in the middle. 

The container’s stainless steel material is dishwasher-safe, and Helios includes optional dividers that can portion off each part of the meal. Users can meal prep using multiple containers to organize their diet across several days. Its rounded edges and soft colors provide an inviting alternative to industrial style cookware products. 

Every junior in WWU’s selective Industrial Design cohort entered their work into the competition this year. Unlike many similar competitions, the Global Innovation Awards (gia) is free to enter and provides professional feedback on every entry. Winners are selected based on innovation, feasibility, marketability and overall quality, according to a panel of 18 judges, including past winners. The competition has received over 7,200 submissions since it started in 1993. 

The gia’s accessibility and student-oriented feedback provide a valuable opportunity for students, said Justin Lund, an assistant professor of Industrial Design at Western. Since design critique typically comes from students in the same cohort, the feedback from judges serves as a more objective perspective from outside Western. Every student, including those who are not winners, receive feedback, which feels more motivational than receiving no response. 

The design process is complex, with many everyday products undergoing a journey filled with iterative prototypes and creative ideation. Each idea, no matter how unconventional, contributes to the development of the final concept. The process starts with ideation, as students think of a need that a product can fill and carve out a niche for their product amid the existing market, Lund explained. Students then gear their design toward an imagined character representing their target demographic. 

"Designers are very detail-oriented and notice many things that others might overlook," Lund said. "Often, people do things the way they always have, without noticing small hiccups or problems they've adapted to. Designers observe these behaviors, which is key to improving the user experience."

Throughout his design process, Griffin observed that 42% of Americans meal prep daily but inefficient heating methods like electric, gas and microwaves were utilized more than induction. He also noticed that many industrial kitchenware items had uninviting sharp edges and gendered colors, which inspired him to create the more user-friendly Helios. 

After ideation and market research, designers proceed to use 3D modelling to create a  low-fidelity prototype and then craft the story behind their product, Lund said. 

“What I described is kind of linear but it doesn’t really feel like that when you’re in the process,” Lund said. 

Griffin said he was initially torn between two ideas and settled on the Helios because it was more suited to the contest’s parameters. Sometimes designers have to kill their darlings, or in other words choose between a beloved idea and a solution that better fits their overall vision. This opportunity also challenged Griffin to diversify his portfolio, since he had previously designed larger agricultural and communications products.

“I feel honored and grateful that I get to be in a position to offer support to students,” Lund said. “I actually graduated in 2010 from the same program so it’s great to be able to offer some of the things that I found really helpful, and also hopefully fill in some of the areas that I wish I would have known about when I was in their place.” 

As for the meals he would prep with the Helios, Griffin said he enjoys pulled pork, vegetables and soup. 

Find out more about Western's Industrial Design program here.

Mia Limmer-Lai (she/her) is a third-year environmental journalism major with a minor in honors interdisciplinary studies. She serves as the Salish Sea Institute and Office of University Communication’s inaugural Tahlequah’ Communication Intern, which is funded through a generous endowment from Frank Greer and Stephanie Solien.