ThingsAmongMany

It’s always impressive when design is used to solve an everyday problem. I tweeted one instance here, when I noticed new, more ergonomic shopping baskets at my local grocery store. (Speaking of which, if you’re not already following *AmongMany on Twitter, jump on the bandwagon! We’ve already had a ton of new followers this week!)

I found another excellent example of a design solution to a common problem today: how often do you find yourself cramped under a desk or jiggling a plug back and forth to try and release it from a powerstrip with just one hand? I know for me, it’s more often than I’d like. Industrial designer Evan Ryan came up with a simple solution to alleviate the problem. His Eject Powerstrip allows the user to pop a plug from the strip one-handed by simply squeezing on either side of the plug:

One of, if not the most difficult aspect of a power strip is unplugging the power cords, especially if the power strip is under a desk or behind an object. When you squeeze the eject power strip, the plug “pops” right out eliminating the need to use two hands.

Simple. Useful. Elegant. Just what good design should be!