Water purification systems fall under that category of mundane appliances bought out of pure necessity rather than any deep seated desire remotely related to design. Under-the-sink models offer the option to hide away the form-in-service-of-function products, but most countertop options are dominantly characterized by white plastic case designs. Seoul-based branding and industrial design studio Superkomma wants to color the category differently with their vibrant, folded metal water purifier, the Conecto.
The Conecto is conceived to be an “anywhere, everywhere appliance,” one bringing filtered water well beyond models typically confined to the kitchen and the proximity of an electrical outlet. The narrow dimensions of the water purification appliance operates solely dependent upon water pressure, so there’s no plug or power cable to worry about, liberating placement.
In support of portability, Superkomma includes a small yellow hook to hold any excess length of water tube used in the connection between a water source and the reverse osmosis filtering unit.
“We don’t think the water purifier [has to be] white, [nor] should it be made of plastic material,” explains Superkomma. “And I don’t want to define it as a product that only stays in the kitchen.”
Superkomma credits the form and structure of the Conecto to modular metal furniture as inspiration. Interestingly this includes metal’s tendency to patina over time for its “vintage charm.”
Constructed of colorfully painted folding metal plates matching the dimensions of A4 paper, the Conecto’s individual pieces simply lock into place for simplified assembly.
To reduce waste, Superkomma labels each filter units using laser marking instead of printed label
The Conecto may be purely a concept at the moment, but it’s a fair bet as drinking water quality increasingly becomes a concern both at work and home – and wasteful plastic water bottles (hopefully) become less common – we’ll see water purifiers diversify in design and be presented in a wider gamut of colors inspired by the likes of Superkomma’s colorful little number.
