Consumer Turnoffs: Ugly Tech, Garish Gadgets

Fed up with ugly routers and clunky hard drives, a growing number of consumers are looking for well-designed gadgets that complement decor instead of cluttering desktops and clashing with furniture. Many credit Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone, with its strikingly simple forms, for raising the bar on expectations for good design in consumer electronics. And while art and design professionals say that gadgets like mobile phones and personal computers are becoming increasingly well-designed, they also say many electronic products still need to work on their appearance. "Routers are awful; they're ugly," said Kai-wei Hsu, a 31-year-old furniture designer. "With a lot of things, you don't always get to choose."

Ugly Outside, Ugly Inside? Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) is trying to alter that reputation with the Linksys Ultra Range Plus Wireless-N Broadband Router, a slick black design -- although it doesn't quite look like it's headed for the Museum of Modern Art's store just yet. Most design and art professionals agree that looks shouldn't come at the expense of functionality and that the best designs are those that make the object easier or more fun to use. Christopher Benton, an art buyer in New York, said that thoughtless design suggests poor performance . "If something's clunky, doesn't have fluid lines, then I think it's probably the same inside as well," he said. Many agree the iPhone is a prime example of good design in consumer electronics. "It's really good technology, and has everything in it. It doesn't look like a gadget so much. It's something that's elegant and part fashion," said John Kudos, a 29 year-old graphic designer. Kudos says he has noticed that computers and television sets have become sleeker over the years, and he's happy with the compact look of his external hard drive, My Book by Western Digital. "It's like a book sitting on the desk, and it blends in with the bookcase. That's nice: technology that disappears," he said. Simplicity and Elegance Simplicity is also a theme for another design-centric storage manufacturer, Fabrik, although it prefers an organic feel to angular designs; and its bamboo-paneled hard-drive called "[re]drive" emphasizes natural and recyclable materials. Fabrik has also teamed up with Pininfarina, the Turin, Italy, company known for its work on Ferrari and Maserati auto designs, to make a line of small and colorful hard drives. "We want to be edgy; we want to be smart in what we're producing," said Stacey Lund, vice president of marketing at Fabrik. 'Transformative Impact' The ultimate in good design, many say, is something that addresses a need and changes people's perceptions. The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum recently awarded its annual "People's Design Award" to Zon, a hearing aid developed by industrial design studio Stuart Karten Design. Zon looks more like jewelry than a medical device -- one which many are reluctant to use because of concerns about stigma and appearance.