DIY vacuum cleaner leaves competition in the dust with one&twenty’s ‘best of best’ award

Opencyclone Wins ‘best of Best’ at one&twenty

In a celebration of creativity, the one&twenty design competition crowned its 2024 champion with the prestigious ‘Best of Best’ award. Lion Sanguinette and Jonathan Stein emerged victorious in Brera, Milan, with their Opencyclone DIY handheld vacuum, acknowledged for their entirely novel concept. Organized by the German Design Council, the competition honored 21 winners in total, recognizing immense talent and original inspirations.

all images courtesy of the German Design Council 

With the one&twenty competition, the German Design Council Foundation supports promising design students and graduates, offering them a platform to present their visionary ideas. To celebrate the future of design, the platform is seeking to actively shape a circular, resource-conserving, and more inclusive world. The lead and organizer behind everything, the German Design Council, has been operating since 1953 as one of the world’s leading centers of expertise in communication and knowledge transfer within design, branding and innovation with events, awards, jury meetings and committees.

Jonathan Stein and Lion Sanguinette launched Opencyclone (see here) as part of a semester project at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design. The designers engaged deeply with the work of Ezio Manzini, a pioneer in the field of sustainable design. Since 2010, Manzini’s SLOC paradigms, which stand for ‘Small, Local, Open and Connected,’ aim to maximize the use of local resources and minimize the distance between producers and consumers. Using an open source approach, the duo developed a platform that allows users to make products locally, in collaboration with small businesses and connected to each other. A vacuum cleaner, due to its ubiquity as a consumer item, became the prototype of the pilot project, first presented on their website os-systems.eu.

ever made your own vacuum cleaner?

Their website, which is still under development, provides blueprints, parts lists and instructions to enable users to either build different models of vacuum cleaner themselves or commission them from local manufacturers: from simple tools at home to businesses equipped with CNC machines for more autonomous operation. All CAD files are accessible via the Tinkercad browser application, inviting community members to modify, improve and upload their own designs. The editable CAD files allow everyone to tailor the designs to suit their individual needs and preferences. There are also plans to develop the platform into a comprehensive portal, offering not only designs but also links to verified manufacturers, allowing users to order parts directly or access a network of local manufacturers.

The platform represents a significant extension of the traditional design process, allowing users to actively participate in design and production. The aim of Jonathan Stein and Lion Sanguinette is to create an open, collaborative space where innovation can be shared, developed and made more accessible. The ‘one&twenty’ jury was impressed, and said, ‘The open source concept fosters a vibrant ecosystem that not only democratises product development, but also promotes sustainable and locally produced solutions. A groundbreaking project that shows courage, idealism and vision!’ The Award highlights the importance of design as a tool for social innovation and sustainability. 

project info:

project name: Opencyclone
winners: Lion Sanguinette & Jonathan Stein (Kunsthochschule Burg Giebichenstein, Germany)

competition name: one&twenty | @1_and_20

organization: Rat für Formgebung – German Design Council | @germandesigncouncil