What domestic problem would you like to see addressed through design?

‘In the long term, I’m interested in finding ways expose our reliance upon mass-produced white goods. For example, I’d love to find ways to challenge what makes a washing machine the best way to wash our clothes? Or a domestic fridge the best way to keep food fresh? In the short term it would be good to see innovative ways to keep existing things going longer and to disrupt planned obsolescence in everyday things. I can see a future where we watch a YouTube video about how to fix our dishwasher and download new parts to print and install ourselves – led by real users not manufacturers of course.’

Matt Wade, partner, Kin

‘The method of building new homes is broken. Victorian building techniques and pastiche period styles prevail, failing to allow design to improve the quality of life of the end user. Modular systems can offer spaces which are so much easier to maintain while being cheaper to build. They would also be easier to personalise, allowing the owner/tenant to project their character onto the space. The best benefits – fewer join-lines, dirt traps, tricky corners, and with smarter self-cleaning surfaces there will be fewer chores and DIY, allowing more time to have fun within your home.’

John Tighe, design director, JPA

‘Intermediate storage is something that I think has a lot of potential. We tend to think of our stuff in the home in terms of “in use” and “not in use”. But looking at how people are living today there is a big grey area in between. The jumper worn once that’s thrown over a chair, the favourite tea mug in the drying rack that never makes it into the cupboard, the various screens (laptops, ipads, smartphones) floating around the house… I would love to see clever intermediate storage solutions that create a sense of order for those objects that are just waiting to be picked up again.’

Karen Rosenkranz, Head of Social & Lifestyle Foresight, Seymourpowell

‘Interesting subject – my wife twisted my arm to buy a robot floor cleaner, and I was very skeptical at the time, but it’s been absolutely brilliant. I think two key issues are ironing which is a big contention; the only solution we have come up with is wearing less clothes, and as we are pretty health conscious, and love cooking we seem to be constantly loading and unloading dishwashers. So for me I think a robot that cleans up, loads and unloads after my big cooking experience would be problem solved.’

Ian Caulder, creative director, Caulder Moore