Finally I found some time to skim through my blogroll. One of the blog I like to stop by is, of course, infoaesthetics which pointed me on two great project that should be highlighted on the list of those simple ideas that costs nothing and that can change the world.

Given the fact that our society is so used to well being and our quality of life, maybe is the case to make it a bit more visible how much we consume and how much we influence other’s lives. However these two projects I am talking about here fall into this view.

The first one is called power point and is a simple led consumption indicator that is visible right on the domestic plug where we branch our appliers:

Power Point is designed to make visible the amount of power being consumed

by each mains socket in a direct and immediate way. Furthermore, by utilising a technology called X10 to send information through existing power cables, Power Point can pass information about patterns of power consumption to a central database or turn off sockets per-defined as nonessential in the event of power failure. Allowing the property to continue running on back up power until mains power returns.

The second project is called Power Aware strips:

Power strips are used on a daily basis in most homes as a means of ‘transporting’ energy to the products we use every day. The ‘Power-Aware Cord’ is a re-designed electrical power strip in which the cord is designed to visualize the energy rather than hiding it. The current use of electricity is represented through glowing pulses, flow, and intensity of light. Expressing the presence of energy through light can inspire people to explore and reflect upon the energy consumption of electrical

devices in their home.

Tags: ecology, education, environment, information visualization, interaction design