Debugger
Tech Shouldn’t Look Like Tech
Almost every tech device stands out in a home like an ugly black box. And those that prioritize design often don’t work as well.
Walk into almost any home in North America, and you’ll find a crummy big black router hidden under a couch, a conspicuous black TV in the living room, and a bunch of chargers snaking out from the walls. Tech is everywhere, but it’s terrible at blending in. Instead, it sticks out like a sore thumb.
When I moved into a new home recently, I found myself trying to find the “nice-looking” version of every gadget. I almost always check review sites like Wirecutter when making purchasing decisions, but while the recommendations are good, they rarely account for aesthetic design. The past month of my Google history is fraught with embarrassing searches like “well-designed monitor” and “not ugly air purifier,” which means some algorithm somewhere has flagged me as a picky millennial.
In some categories, I was able to find one or two “nicely” designed items. The Samsung Frame TV, for example, at least attempts to hide in plain sight. Designed to look like a framed photo or a piece of art when it’s turned off, it hangs flat on the wall and uses a thin, transparent wire to mask the fact that it’s a…
