Addicted Products by Simone Rebaudengo, an Italian product designer currently working at Frog in Munich, Germany, is a project that turns the idea of smart technology on its head. As home appliances become more independent and 'smarter,' the designer envisions them as adopting human behaviors as well, some of which involve jealousy, despondency and, of course, addictiveness.
Involving a network of tweaked toasters, Addicted Products by Simone Rebaudengo connected them to the Internet and each other. They were then distributed among a group of hosts. Addicted to being used, they became emotional when they knew that other toasters were being used more. They would act out physically or through tweets and when it got really bad they would self-destruct or call DHL to be moved.
What's Driving This Trend
- Emotional Home Appliances
- Home appliances that exhibit human-like emotions, such as jealousy and despondency, as a way to engage with users.
- Connected Appliances
- Home appliances that are connected to the internet and communicate with each other, creating a network of 'smart' devices.
- Addictive Technology
- Technological products designed to be addictive, stimulating user engagement and dependency.
Who This Affects Most
- Smart Home Appliances
- Companies that produce and sell connected home appliances that can interact with users and each other.
- Product Design
- Professionals in the field of product design who are exploring ways to incorporate emotional and addictive elements into their creations.
- Internet of Things (iot)
- Industries involved in creating devices and infrastructure for the internet of things, enabling connectivity between home appliances.
