Core77

Though we use them all the time, most plugs are not really well-designed in terms of ergonomics.

The plastic housing of this standard three-prong plug is supposed to be chunky enough that we can just grab it with our fingers.

Plugs like these have ridges and textures that are apparently supposed to sync up with the grooves in our fingerprints, providing traction.

The standard American appliance plug has an additional lip we can grab for purchase.

Designer Kim Seung Woo's clever Universal Plug has a nice, obvious grab area. The idea won a Red Dot Design Concept Award 2008.

Update: Several readers expressed surprise that Kim's Universal Plug won a Red Dot Award, pointing out that a similar plug was already on the market, by Australian company Breville:

Art Lebedev Studio's Vilcus dactyloadapter "was developed specially for people who enjoy closing electrical circuits with their own fingers."

Many people get a kick out of direct contact with AC power supply. To that end, people normally use U-shaped fragments of bare wire, paper clips or even usual metal forks. All these gimmicks are unreliable, short-lived and, most importantly, tend to cause short-circuit failure or even inflammation.

But with the Vilcus, "Copper plates located in the sockets ensure proper contact."

It even comes with adapters for traveling to foreign countries.

Lastly, this is one of the more disturbing Halloween costumes we've seen, if only because it alludes to at least one deviant sex act.

Also, isn't this costume incomplete, shouldn't there be a third person somewhere playing the part of the appliance? Or is he just plugging in for the sake of plugging in?