Throughout the 20 th Century, many designers believed that form follows function. But today, design is entering the picture much earlier in the creative process and influencing everything from high fashion to high-powered grills. It’s all part of the movement toward building not just better products, but products that integrate form and function from the start. A hot real estate market, growing interest in customization and the media are fueling the trend. Wherever you look, there are magazines, TV channels and network shows devoted entirely to home improvement. The average person is developing an eye for style that is unprecedented. Viewing their homes as reflections of their good taste and lifestyles, people crave comfortable retreats from an increasingly frenetic world. With time a precious commodity, they also want products that are intuitive and easy to use. Manufacturers are catering to these consumers with high-end appliances, deluxe furnishings, luxury details and premium fixtures. The design renaissance has affected the entire spectrum of home products. It is even transforming the electrical industry, where companies are spicing up their offerings to give homeowners more stylish options.

Manufacturers are developing new lines of electrical devices that offer an alternative to standard toggle and rocker switches. By rethinking residential electrical devices in light of changing consumer tastes, manufacturers have produced wiring devices and lighting controls that have all the attributes of custom design, combined with the functionality to appeal to an upscale market that prizes quality details and precision engineering.

Form Factors

Before investing major resources in the development of new form factors, manufacturers go through an information-gathering phase. During this time, they hold focus groups and consult with architects, builders, designers, electricians and homeowners to find out what they like and dislike about wiring devices. In a recent consumer survey that resulted in the introduction of a bold new wiring device platform, homeowners expressed preferences for a consistent look throughout the home, and wanted products that would complement their premium appliances, electronics and entertainment systems. Architects and designers were also looking for a clean, sleek design that could be installed in every room and fit in nicely with overall aesthetics.

Custom home building statistics also played a role in the development of new high-end design platforms targeted to upscale consumers. Although custom homes make up 17% of all housing starts, they account for nearly 30% of all expenditures for building products. Homebuyers in this category are willing to spend more money to achieve their aesthetic goals. They are impressed with small details like smooth-working cabinetry hardware, consistent finishes and precision craftsmanship. Demographics are also taken into account. The physiology of an aging population, as well as the sheer number of baby boomers influences design trends. For this group, switches and lighting controls need to be accessible, visible and simple to operate, with universal design features built in.

Once there is a clear image of market needs, the designers create physical prototypes. In one new collection of wiring devices and lighting controls, 30 physical prototypes were produced, which were then narrowed down to three: a radical low-profile design; soft, rounded-edge style; and clean-edged minimalist look. From these designs, the final form factor, based on the streamlined simplicity of minimalism, was chosen.

Engineering Elements

Once the form is set, function takes over. Innovative thinking, inside and outside the box, results in contoured silhouettes with sleek styling and imaginative details. Engineered for performance, the new device designs answer the consumer and professional’s need for beautifully integrated products that work effortlessly, while attaining an aesthetic that soothes the senses.

Many of the new form factors utilize larger device footprints that allow extra space for product enhancements. For example, design engineers at one wiring device company took advantage of the extra space by integrating three receptacles onto a single-gang device face. The result is an industry-exclusive triplex receptacle that fits in a standard single-gang wallbox and accommodates three grounded plugs. For branch circuit load calculations, the triplex receptacle is considered to have the same value as a duplex receptacle, 180 Volt-Amperes. This means the maximum number of triplex receptacles installed on a single 15- and 20-Amp circuit is 10 and 13, respectively; exactly the same as the number of duplex receptacles allowed. This provides more usable receptacles per branch circuit and helps eliminate the need for plug-in adapters and plug strips, an innovation appreciated by consumers who desire streamlined elegance.

Color plays a major role in today’s designs. Choices abound, in shades of neutral colors and deep, dramatic hues to go with popular decorating materials. One manufacturer’s product features two-tone switches that become focal points, rather than retreat into the wall. Designers also experiment with LED colors. Although green, amber and red have been the colors of choice for LEDs throughout the industry, the switches, lighting controls, GFCIs and surge protective devices of one new collection are designed with a soothing blue that enhances its coolness quotient and eye-appeal. The use of blue LEDs is a growing trend in electronic and appliance manufacturing.

When it comes to wall plates, the fundamental idea is to hide or eliminate the screws. Wall plates today present sleek, smooth frames that are unobtrusive on the wall. Another wall plate innovation is the absence of webs between devices in multiple gang applications, a feature that contributes to the unified appeal of the devices. Also gaining in popularity are brushed stainless steel metals and bronze finishes that coordinate with high-tech appliances and natural surfaces.

In many product lines, small innovations provide big improvements. One manufacturer’s new installation technology features an alignment plate with precisely located positioning pins to ensure proper alignment of devices and wall plates, as well as mounting clips that hold the screwless, snap-on wall plates firmly in place. The clips are secured to the mounting strap with a precision joining method developed in Germany and used by manufacturers such as Porsche, Bosch-Siemens and Canon. For easier installation, some lighting controls in this manufacturer’s line have back- and side-wire terminal screws. Additionally, there are no fins to remove from lighting controls in multi-gang applications, allowing for faster installation.

Electrical manufacturers have raised the bar for design with comprehensive, coordinated lines that include switches, receptacles, lighting controls, GFCIs and communications devices. There is an unprecedented sense of balance to the new form factors that integrates all elements, resulting in groundbreaking collections of wiring devices that transcend the traditional designs of the past.

Profitable Future

The emphasis on high-end design is creating new opportunities for the electrical industry and distributors who serve the industry, especially at a time when low-cost products saturate the market. For consumers who can afford to build their dream home, price doesn’t matter. The rest of us are willing to pay a premium for something extra special. From the sublime … the $3,000 gas grill and $300 toaster … to the ubiquitous switch and receptacle, the trend is to seek out the best. This adds up to additional profits for builders, designers, contractors and distributors. Today, electrical manufacturers are doing their part to deliver the kinds of products the market seeks, ensuring enticing new ways to make design statements out of commodity-type basics.

Refer to 2002 NEC article 220.3(B)(9) and 2005 NEC article 220.14(I)