Aleksander Wieneke, 22, always dreamt of creating functional projects that others could appreciate. Ambitious yet pragmatic, Alek created Noah.
His thesis-turned-personal passion is an everyday chair that transforms into a life-saving floatation device whenever necessary, including floods. This multipurpose piece of furniture was hailed with the James Dyson Award, a yearly international citation which recognizes the up-and-coming generation of visionaries, spearheaded by the James Dyson Foundation, the English inventor's charitable trust.
He realized the real-world problem of the recurrence of floods, especially in the Philippines that must be solved through low-cost and accessible means.
Noah, with references to the owner of the Biblical ark, boasts of reflective tape and a paddle, plus sturdy handles on all four sides which can be secured to an anchor with a cord, for rescuers to attach cables and ropes and to connect multiple rafts for families.
When pressured, he takes a step back, analyzes and plans. "Then I reframe what needs to be reframed, think about what I can do to move forward to achieve the goal, then execute," he said.
During his free time, Alek catches up with friends and enjoys watching films and listening to music. "I also like to stay active so I normally lift-weights, sometimes run, play basketball with my friends or football when I can."
Let's hear some thoughts on the award-winning advocacy of the Industrial Design graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde:
On winning the James Dyson Award:
I was, of course, incredibly shocked at first. I knew that there were many other great entries, so being lauded is such a great blessing and I lift that up to God. I am extremely grateful, and it's like a dream come true. From the onset of this project, I had my fair share of doubts and worries. For a long time, I have wanted to participate. So being where I am now, feels a bit unreal and is such an amazing opportunity.
On next steps in Noah:
Some plans are to possibly engage in further research and development, if needed, to improve reliability.
On investors:
Another step is to seek out investors or manufacturers, to see the plausibility of this being developed and brought to the market. With funding, I am keen on seeing where this can go.
On advice to aspiring designers:
I am still very young and have much to experience and learn, but I would like other new and aspiring designers to take to heart the importance of design. It can improve our lives and society. I trust the future generation has the potential and ability to create useful products of value. They are not only designing for the world they live in now, but for the future generations as well.