Inspired, David Tonge: The Division

At art school we are encouraged to find our own way of seeing life.

For me, everyday life, objects and situations still inspire new opportunities. Additionally, there can be humour in this – the Martin Parr photography effect, which I think is particularly British and appealing.

Today’s example is cable mess. It’s the stuff that is behind your home media centre, PC desk and office cabinet. It’s the stuff the consumer electronics companies and furniture makers don’t want to deal with, but we all have to live with. The solution to this spaghetti of excess cables and power bricks, evolved by us at The Division, is to retrofit an everyday object – the waste bin – with power sockets and a lid. It comes with a soft rubber cleat to guide cables neatly to your desktop and is designed to be easily moveable and beautiful in the home or small office environment.

At once this is a recognisable object, useful with a twist of humour, while subtly encouraging us to think about objects in a new way. For this and other similar ‘ways of seeing’ we have developed, we are now seeking manufacturing partners.