by Grace Ng

The growing sophistication of technology has, ironically, produced a proliferation of design aesthetics to the contrary. Why are designers turning childish and wacky when the gadgets they develop are geared for the working adult?

Japan seems to be the birthplace of weird, quirky gadgets, but other parts of Asia, Europe and the United States are catching up. Are there really consumers for such products? Of course!

Google and you will find their mass availability beyond Amazon and eBay.

It is a whole new world filled with strange characters and loud bursts of colors in all shapes and sizes. Hello Kitty has rice-cookers and waffle bakers. The Simpsons offers you a bottle-opener that talks to you when you open the next bottle of beer.

Our new friends go beyond the familiar goggle-boxed faces. USB thumbdrives no longer come in boxy, stick-like designs or robots with little limbs dangling from the device.

In fact, mimoco, a designer toy studio, has tapped into a niche market targeting vivid fans of Happy Tree Friends with the release of the violent cartoon’s thumbdrives, which bear the designs of both gory and amicable versions of the characters.

Home appliances ranging from televisions to radios and from microwaves to refrigerators, as well as devices such as MP3 players, computer mouse and speakers are donning different outfits to meet the consumers today. If there is a market for these gizmos, what does it say of the consumers? Well, psychological reasons could be the driving force to this growing trend.

There could be a logical rationale behind the growing infantile designs: to satisfy the visual thirst of consumers who yearn to relive the fun and laughter of childhood. Nobody likes stress, but gone were the days when we go around free of responsibility and worry.

Puchi Puchi, an infinite bubble wrap, allows users to relive the fun of popping bubbles. As addictive as the original bubble wrap can be, the Puchi Puchi rewards users with a special sound effect at every hundredth pop, allowing this whimsical innovation to succeed as a stress reliever for the frustrating work environment.

Visit Click to Open Web Page to read more.

GRACE NG
Writer
TAXI Design Network

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