Driving Timeless Design

Electrolux design chief Joaquín García Sanchis sees parallels between home appliances and the automotive industry he was grounded in.

Former auto exec Joaquín García Sanchis is steering Electrolux toward a design renaissance

By Electrolux Group

Joaquín García Sanchis joined Electrolux Group as head of global design in March. In the following corporate Q&A, he discusses his auto industry background, the components of beautiful design and the important roles both will play in positioning Electrolux as an appliance industry challenger. 

Almost 20 years of your career have been in the automotive industry. How did that prepare you for your work with appliances?
In the automotive industry, there is a strong focus on building strong brands, and design plays a strategic role in this as one of the key contributors to building up brand awareness, differentiation and value. I see many similarities with Electrolux Group, as brand awareness and the consumer experience are very important in both industries.

I’m looking forward to bringing my experience from the automotive industry to Electrolux Group to help strengthen and shape our brands through design-led thinking and consumer-focused innovation.  

What does beautiful design mean to you personally? 
In the automotive world, we used to say that when you see a new car pass by, you turn your head and follow it with your eyes. There’s a moment where you fall in love, just like with human interaction. 

When you build a relationship with that person, you get to know them more deeply. So, there’s the first impression and then the long-term relationship. In car design, we studied this balance between the first impression and long-term relationship very closely.  

Overall, good design to me is uncomplicated. A product can be complex but its design should be timeless and sustainable. Built to last.  

How has the role of design evolved over the last two decades? 
Up until 15 years ago, design was very aesthetic. It was all about appearance. This changed with the acceleration of the touchscreen user interface, driven by Apple.

Asia has been the biggest disruptor in the past five years across all industries, I believe. They have good design, with the Koreans and Japanese leading in terms of simplicity. When it comes to speed, value and adapting new ways of working, Chinese companies have been a wake-up call for the Western world, helping us to grow and improve.  

How can Electrolux make its brands stand out and adapt to increasingly competitive global markets?  
One of them is identity. Identity is the most important thing for a brand. We have a very strong identity that we need to protect. But not by fencing it in and closing it off to other influences and expansion. On the contrary, we need to evolve our brands, Scandinavian origins, our values and our way of doing things over time. I’m not saying we need to forget this, but we need to adapt to the future, especially when it comes to speed and decision making.  

Then, there is heritage. This is the only thing we have that our Asian competitors don’t. They have everything else — people, talent, cash to invest, knowledge, expertise and industry — but, at the most, they only have a few decades of heritage. Electrolux Group has over 100 years of history, and that is something we can be proud of and leverage.  

Finally, there is the mindset. The market pressure and the increasing sense of urgency is real, but we cannot allow it to paralyze us. Instead, we need to channel that urgency into action, approach our work with confidence and believe that we can succeed.  

What roles do sustainability and circular design play in the future of product design? 
Sustainability is strongly connected to our Scandinavian heritage, values and culture.  

A core pillar in our sustainability strategy is promoting a circular business model and building products that last and are repairable. This is the future of product design, with a focus on consumer behavior. 

What is your favorite design period?  
I think the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s were my favorite decades in the history of design. Back then, technology was important but there was more emphasis on innovation, materials, physical interaction and character.  

Finally, tell us something about yourself that might surprise your new colleagues. 
I’m not sure if this will surprise people, but I am definitely not the stereotypical designer who is always on top of the latest trend wave. People are often surprised by how down-to-earth I am, and I’m not into fancy things either.

Electrolux Group, based in Stockholm, Sweden, is the $14 billion parent of the venerable Electrolux and Frigidaire home appliance brands, serving over 120 markets worldwide.

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