PlugSwap Portable Power Hub by Yingfei Zhuo |
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| DESIGN DETAILS | |||||
| DESIGN NAME: PlugSwap PRIMARY FUNCTION: Portable Power Hub INSPIRATION: The key problem PlugSwap solves is the inflexibility of existing power strips which often leads to unnecessary waste when they become obsolete or partially damaged. PlugSwap's magnetic modular design allows users to replace individual sockets to meet their changing needs, ensuring longevity and reducing electronic waste. A preset and customized socket configuration also satisfies the electrical needs of international travel which takes the confusion out of countries' electricity standards. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Designed for the conscious traveler and the eco-aware consumer, the PlugSwap boasts modular replaceable sockets, allowing users to tailor socket configurations to their needs. Made with eco-friendly and durable materials, it ensures it is easily repaired and reduces electronic waste by letting users replace individual sockets rather than the entire strip. Whether you‘re at home or on-the-go, the PlugSwap is an adaptable, sustainable, and travel-ready power solution. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: The PlugSwap design offers benefits to end-users by introducing flexibility and sustainability into their daily lives. Users can customize socket configurations to their specific needs, eliminating the common frustration of incompatible or insufficient outlets during international travel. This adaptability makes PlugSwap ideal for both home and travel scenarios, ensuring users always have the right connections wherever they go. The use of durable, eco-friendly materials like PBT and PETG not only minimizes environmental impact but also enhances the product's longevity, reducing the need for frequent replacements and thereby saving users money in the long term. Moreover, the compact and minimalistic design of PlugSwap means it integrates smoothly into various living spaces and travel bags, providing an efficient power solution without compromising on style. By addressing these practical and environmental concerns, PlugSwap significantly improves the daily life of its users, offering a smart, sustainable, and adaptable power management solution. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in October and finished in Decembe 2023 in New York. FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Digital and Electronic Device Design |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: PowerSwag is designed to integrate plug adapters from various countries and equipment standards into one unified plug. Using the unified 3 position spring piston magnetic connector to customize the plug jack settings that the user desires. The magnetized connector makes it easy to assemble and disassemble the plug. Even if the jack is damaged due to frequent use, the plug unit can be replaced instantly to ensure the product's use. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Full size: 15cm*5cm*3.7cm Base size: 15cm*5cm*1.2cm Module size: 5cm*5cm*2.5cm External wire length: 1m TAGS: Replaceable, Modular Design, Magnetic Attachment, Portable Plugs, Electronics, Eco-Friendly Plastic, Travel, Sustainability RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The PlugSwap design makes a substantial impact in the electronics and travel accessories market, setting a new benchmark for innovation, sustainability, and user-centric design. From a business perspective, leveraging such a design could significantly enhance market positioning by tapping into the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly and travel products. The modular and replaceable socket system not only addresses the practical needs of a diverse customer base but also aligns with environmental values, making it a compelling offer for eco-conscious consumers. This unique combination of functionality, sustainability, and design aesthetics provides a strong differentiator in a competitive market. Additionally, the emphasis on durability and material efficiency resonates with the increasing consumer fight against planned obsolescence, further strengthening brand loyalty and customer retention. By pioneering in this direction, a business can attract a broad segment of forward-thinking consumers, thereby driving sales, enhancing brand reputation, and establishing leadership in innovation and sustainability. CHALLENGE: The hardest part of the PlugSwap design activity was balancing the innovation of modularity with the practicalities of production and environmental sustainability. The creative challenge lay in developing a product that was not only adaptable and user-friendly but also truly sustainable and feasible to produce. Internally, reconciling the historical and social perspectives of disposable consumer electronics with a new paradigm of durability and reparability was a significant hurdle. We aimed to shift consumer expectations from disposability to longevity, a challenging task given the prevailing 'throw-away ADDED DATE: 2024-02-26 15:19:32 TEAM MEMBERS (3) : Yingfei Zhuo, Junwei Dong and Ruerui Wang IMAGE CREDITS: Image 1 : Creator Designer Yingfei Zhuo, Product Rendering, 2023. Image 2 : Creator Designer Yingfei Zhuo, Multi-angle Display Diagram, 2023. Image 3 : Creator Designer Yingfei Zhuo, Plug Module Diagram, 2023. Image 4 : Creator Designer Yingfei Zhuo, Product Use Diagram, 2023. Image 5 : Creator Designer Yingfei Zhuo, Detailed Rendering, 2023. |
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NAME: Yingfei Zhuo PROFILE: Yingfei Zhuo is a designer and architect based in New York and Beijing, navigating the creative fields between the two vibrant cities. She specializes in the innovative use of materials, the use of light and shadow, and the creation of artistically modeled structures. For the past few years, she has focused on exploring the architectural industry, where her work centered on the integration of different types of form and function, and aesthetic explorations that utilized the interaction of structure with natural light and shadow. However, when she started to enter the field of industrial design, she realized that the different fields of design have a lot in common. She believes that designers with an artistic mindset bring infinite visual possibilities. Over the past two years, she has also developed an unwavering interest in the creativity and sustainability prospects of biomaterials. The versatility of sustainable design offers exciting prospects for her designs, breathing life into discarded resources and combining functionality with ecological responsibility. |
| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Plugswap Portable Power Hub by Yingfei Zhuo is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Digital and Electronic Device Design Category, 2023 - 2024.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Yingfei Zhuo. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Yingfei Zhuo. |
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