As you can see very little has changed since 1929 and nothing has changed since 1970 in terms of the design of the power strip. The shape is exactly the same as it was in 1970, as is the white plastic casing and the placing of the sockets.
Despite the increasing need for additional power sockets with all the electronic devices we use these days, we continue to look at the same situation we looked at in 1970. It is no wonder that nowadays we have made it a habit to hide our power strips as far away as possible, crawling beneath our desks just to plug in our laptops and phones. It’s a nightmare, but it’s better than looking at a while bulky plastic power strip all day.
There is an alternative however, so let’s compare the Woodie Hub below with the power strip.
Shape
The power strip still uses the same rectangular shape as it did in 1970 and it was probably done so to make it easy. The design is pretty much a constant repetition of each segment and it was built to solve a practical issue, not to look great. It fits the sockets and that’s what it was supposed to do. There are some alternatives available these days where they changed the shape into a polygon, or just a block, but they are not very common and not always equally safe.
The Woodie Hub was created with a different thought in mind however. It had to turn the power strip back into a functional object and that could only be done if we stop hiding it as well. It therefore uses a more squared shape rather than rectangular to provide an impression of it being a single product, without breaking the symmetry and shapes of the surrounding. To ensure that the Woodie Hub felt more warm and friendly it wasn’t made fully rectangular however, but has several rounded edges (why we like that). In all, the shape signals much more unity and a warm vibe and harmony with its surroundings.
Materials
The power strip, even the ‘modern differently shaped’ ones, are made out of plastic. The idea behind this is once more very practical. First of all, plastic frames are extremely cheap to make, making it a cost-friendly solution. Secondly, the plastics which are used are isolating materials, which is mandatory for products which handle electricity for obvious reasons. But this doesn’t just make it cheap, it also makes it look cheap and conflicting with any interior design.
The Woodie Hub was designed however to find harmony with any interior design and not only blend in, but add to it. Because there are many different forms of interior design, there are also different materials for the Woodie Hub. To ensure this harmony, there are versions in wood, aluminum and marble. The casing of the electronics is of course plastic to ensure our safety, but rather than stopping there it was important to create something more, something beautiful. The wood on your table and in your cabinet, the marble in your kitchen, but even the concrete for any industrial interior, it’s all available to complement.
What truly matters!
What shape they have, or even the materials in themselves do nothing, but it’s how they make us feel when we look at them that makes this so beautiful. At this point everyone is hiding their power strips and some even go as far as bolting it under their desk just to never look at it. Our feelings to the power strip are quite clear, we hate it, but we still kind of need it.
But when we put so much effort into our interior design, into the right couch, a beautiful table and so much more, then why ruin it by something so simple? When you walk into the room you should feel happy and at ease and all elements of your interior design should help you with that. It is only obvious we don’t like it when something breaks the harmony of our rooms, because it breaks our own harmony.
