Design Awards 2010

The Judges Awards

11. Life-enhancer of the Year

11.1 ‘Folding Plug System’
by Min-Kyu Choi

11.2 Help health-care range
by Help Remedies
11.3 The High Line
by Friends of the High Line, James Cornerfield Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro
11.4 Icon A5 aircraft
by Icon
11.5 ‘Kyoto Box’ solar cooker
by Kyoto Energy

Min-Kyu Choi‘s folding plug was produced in response to the exorbitant size of British plugs, which are some of the biggest three-pin units in the world. Fed up with the scratches the bulky plugs made on his laptop, the South Korean-born designer has created a flat-pack plug that is ideal for mobile devices. At only 1cm thick, the ingenious folding plug is also in line with British electronic regulations. As a neatly comprehensive addition, Choi has produced a folding plug adaptor. Sharing the white minimalist aesthetic of the single folding plug, the adaptor is no bigger than a regular UK plug but can harbour three of Choi’s folding plugs at a time.

Designer based: London
Key features: Easy to transport, folding three-pin plug system with space-saving multi-plug adaptor
Other projects: ‘Analog Radio’; ‘Folding Suitcase’; and ‘Sundew Flower Fly Trap’, a solar-powered device to help carnivorous plants attract insects

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www.minkyu.co.uk