Interior designers and homeowners bid farewell to the ubiquitous light switch and embrace an alternative canvas for creative expression in the home.
Designers and members of the media were invited to the Ruyi & Lyn restaurant and lounge at Bangsar Shopping Centre on 10th April (2018), to partake in the launch of Schneider Electric’s AvatarOn – a revolutionary wall-mounted electrical switch that provides homeowners with the ability to personalise the humble light switch.
Sitao Ma, VP of Wiring Devices Asia Cluster of Schneider Electric China (second from left) and Francis Heng, Business VP Retail of Schneider Electric Malaysia (third from left), presenting personalised examples of the AvatarOn electrical switch.
The launch was officiated by a welcoming speech by Francis Heng (Business Vice President of Retail for Schneider Electric Malaysia) and included a presentation of Schneider Electric’s pièce de résistance by Saito Ma (Vice President of Wiring Devices for the Asian Cluster of Schneider Electric – China). Also present during the day’s events were the principals of two of the country’s most prolific interior designers – Alex Lee (of Nu Infinity) and Sam Leong (of Surface R), who made up a discussion panel alongside Associate Professor Abdul Muta’ali Othman (the Head of Department for the faculty of Management Science and Design at the UTM Razak School of Engineering and Advanced Technology), echoing the enthusiasm of designers and design students in adopting the AvatarOn as another plane on which to affect personalised designs. Also present was Irene Foo (VP of Marketing for Photobook Worldwide), who spoke on a collaboration between Schneider Electric and Photobook’s division in Malaysia, and the recently launched service supplying personalised photo prints for the AvatarOn switch covers.
(from left) Irene Foo (VP of Marketing for Photobook Worldwide), Assoc. Prof. Abdul Muta’ali Othman (Head of Department for the faculty of Management Science and Design at the UTM Razak School of Engineering & Advanced Technology), Alex Lee (of interior designers Nu Infinity), Sam Leong (of interior designers Surface R), and Mr Sitao Ma look on as Mr Francis Heng reviews the ecology and evolution of Schneider Electric’s electrical switches.
The innovative characteristics of the AvatarOn were officially recognised at the 64th iteration of the annual iF Industrial Forum Design, where Schneider Electric garnered an award for the exceptional product design of the AvatarOn in 2017. The award highlighted the AvatarOn’s Snap-On Cover mechanism, which enables the effortless changing of switch façades over the common Type 86 wall socket box installed in most residential properties, in addition to Schneider Electric’s patented SS (Slim Rocker, Sure Click) design, which afforded the AvatarOn with a thinner profile for clean aesthetics, its zero-jitter action for safety, and its mirror-smooth finish enabling personalisation with adhesive prints.
The personalisable AvatarOn switch cover being installed by hand over the corresponding switch base.
To get creative juices flowing, Schneider Electric announced the launch of a design competition in conjunction with the AvatarOn’s release. From 1st March to 30th April of 2018, the AvatarOn design competition is open to both non-professional and professional designers alike, with major local education institutions encouraging students of design to take part and incorporating the competition as part of their design courses. Submissions would be judged by a panel composed of some of Malaysia’s leading designers. The top 10 designs selected by the panel will be displayed during the upcoming Archidex 2018, with the final winning design being incorporated into Schneider Electric’s own selections of limited edition prints.
A selection of Schneider Electric’s limited edition prints.
For those with a preferred image already in mind, Schneider Electric’s partnership with Photobook Malaysia provides us with a digital photo printing service based in the Shah Alam suburb of Bukit Kemuning, where homeowners will be able to transpose their own personal imagery onto sheets of polycarbonate to fit over the AvatarOn electrical switch covers. Until 31st May (of 2018), homeowners will be able to enjoy a 40 percent discount off the usual price of RM59, with the checkout code “SWITCHON”, when ordering their photo prints from Photobook Malaysia.
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Images from Schneider Electric
