The folding plug concept first seen in the summer of 2009 has this week taken home the coveted Brit Insurance design of the year award.
Designed by London student Min-Kyu Choi, the folding plug is a radical departure from the standard British plug used by millions, and aims to provide the same functionality in a smaller, tidier form factor.
Choi, who claims to have been fed up with carrying ultra-thin notebooks with one of the world's largest plugs, had previously voiced his frustration on YouTube by stating that British plugs "always causes problems such as tearing paper or scratching laptop surfaces and sometimes it will break other stuff".
His simple solution is a plug that measures less than a centimetre thick and unfolds to create a standard three-pin plug for use in any existing socket.
With his design award in hand, South Korean-born Choi (pictured below) now looks certain to turn his invention into a financial success.
The annual contest, organised by London's Design Museum, is regarded as one of the most prestigious design awards and has in previous years been awarded to Shepard Fairey, creator of the Barack Obama "Hope" poster, and Yves Behar, chief designer of the OLPC's XO laptop.
Commenting on Choi's win, Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum, said: "It works, it looks good and I'm sure it will make him a wealthy man if it is marketed right."
"He's showing that design can be about doing everyday simple things really well and in this case transform something that is universal and brutally ugly."
