Thanks to sophisticated technology and a well-thought-out design story, the LUNOS radio control screen wins two coveted prizes at once

The radio control screen from LUNOS Lüftungstechnik is a born prize-winner: it appears unobtrusive and almost inconspicuous, but appearances are deceptive. Inside, there is technology that is unparalleled on the world market, and the exterior is also deliberate understatement by every trick in the book.

There are many catchphrases for what makes the radio screen stand out: Less is more, for example, or The art is in the details. The fact is: Nothing about the radio screen is where it is by chance, nor does it look the way it does by accident. A lot of time and thought went into every square inch, driven by the desire to once again raise the bar for ventilation systems by a significant margin.

But what exactly is the radio screen all about? With its latest coup, LUNOS wants to make it possible for its customers to always live in optimally ventilated rooms without noticing the slightest bit of the actual work of the technology. This starts with the more than simple installation of the radio screen on the wall, for which users do not even need to be able to hold a hammer the right way round, and does not stop at the intuitive operation, which even technology skeptics can master in no time at all. The interior is also made to function smoothly. Regulation, sensor technology, an unprecedented control concept and brand-new technology refine the radio screen and make this simple combination of an inner screen and a radio module (hence the name radio screen) the innovation in the ventilation unit market.

Find the right design

And yet: Even with the best inner workings, a technical device is condemned to a shadowy existence if the design does not appeal to the user. While LUNOS was fiddling around with the technology, the heads of design partner CULTURE FORM were also spinning. The Berliners are very familiar with the world of sanitary building services. But now everything was to be a little different. The new standards and unique selling points of the radio control panel and its unagitated perfection were naturally also to be reflected in the design. For the creative minds, this meant translating nothing less than down-to-earth high-tech into a creative and user-friendly design.

The first step was the basic form. The design language crystallized within the first meetings: it was to be clear, reduced and restrained and thus represent both the continuation and the reinterpretation of the LUNOS product language, which has always had a clear reference to interior design. A flashing something with what felt like far too many corners could therefore not become the radio screen.

The next basic principle: The new radio screen should harmonize with all other wall-mounted elements in the room. Light switches, sockets or the controller for the underfloor heating - they should all incorporate the radio screen into their design family. After all, the radio screen is, in principle, nothing more than another regulator in the room, even if the active regulation work usually goes unnoticed by man.

However, this highly developed technology of the radio screen should not demand too much attention from the occupants, but simply do its job. This requirement led to basic principle number 3: less technical gadget, more consumer product. Large housing corner radii (R25) create a modern, sympathetic overall effect and allow the radio screen to merge with the surrounding wall. How does this work? The clear, flat front surface runs parallel to the wall surface and does not protrude into the room at an angle. Just like a power socket, the radio screen is therefore always in place and always ready for use - and yet never disturbs.

With all this deliberate understatement, it was a particular challenge to place the LUNOS brand in the design. But here, too, an innovative and courageous solution soon emerged: The name LUNOS was dispensed with completely. Instead, the horizontal LUNOS "stripe" is placed clearly visible as a recognition feature and is visually highlighted from the otherwise matt-textured housing surface by a glossy finish. In this way, the product branding also blends in with the unagitated and unobtrusive design of the radio screen.

Sophisticated key features

Over at the client LUNOS, these design ideas met with immediate approval. But there was another challenge: How do the design and the technology come together when the radio shutter is also operated manually? If, for whatever reason, the ventilation is interrupted and the radio screen must somehow signal this inactive state?

This task required some creative meetings, because of course the unexciting character of the design should remain even if the user's attention is needed for a change. The result is a reversal of common practice: the new radio screen is only slightly noticeable when it is switched off. In operating mode, on the other hand, it blends in with the interior architecture of the rooms, because here it stands exactly parallel to the wall. Only when it is closed does its lower edge protrude slightly into the room.

This design key feature supports exactly the core statement of the radio screen. It does its job while remaining as invisible as possible. The technology also blends in beautifully. In the open normal state, the air can circulate without disturbing noise in the upper area, as all electronic control components are placed below the F7 filter in the housing. Only when the fan is closed, the lower surface edge is angled into the room to indicate the interruption of the normal state.

Clever choice of materials

Anyone who still has doubts that the radio screen has honestly earned its two prizes despite all these unique selling points can look forward to the third of the bunch. The world's leading technology and the well-thought-out design concept are further enhanced by the materials used.

The inner workings of the radio screen are almost invisible in the best sense of the word. It is not at all noticeable to users and leaves virtually no ecological footprint. Quite the opposite: through its work, the technology explicitly contributes to reducing the building's energy consumption. This efficient technology is clothed in the radio screen's housing in an unobtrusive shell that can certainly keep up with the interior in terms of sustainability. The double-shell housing is made of pure plastic and can therefore be recycled particularly easily and, above all, almost infinitely. So not only could the radio screen become the mother of many other household technologies in terms of design - the material can also be cast into a new shape again and again.

Conclusion: The radio screen from LUNOS is an all-round success

Honor to whom honor is due: The radio screen from LUNOS is quite rightly the Best Product of the Year. Not only the technology and the materials used play a major role in this. The all-round successful design concept by CULTURE FORM plays just as large a part, without which the radio screen would only cut half the figure in its daily work.

Our partner: CULTURE FORM GmbH

CULTURE FORM thinks design, shapes products and their environment. As a think tank for success and laboratory for innovation, CULTURE FORM develops answers for brands in the form of products, innovations, strategies, communication and services. CULTURE FORM is a partner at eye level and sees itself as part of the client's internal teams. For each project, the CF team provides experience, space for testing and evaluation as well as the intelligence of its own networks. The approach is user-centric and iterative.

Good product design breeds innovation. CULTURE FORM supports the design of products with the goal of developing the product range efficiently and sustainably. In the joint design process it is important to CULTURE FORM not to throw the tried and tested overboard. Only the combination of innovation and tradition produces tailor-made design solutions. Through the optimal interaction of user-friendliness, high-quality workmanship and emotional aesthetics, the product becomes an ambassador for the respective brand and offers the user a holistic experience.

CULTURE FORM: Edisonstraße 63, 12459 Berlin, Germany, +49 30 4081898-0, office@culture-form.com, www.culture-form.com