Plug Hub Cord Management System Side Closed

If you have been reading the blog for any period of time, you will remember that in the past I’ve shared a website with you called Quirky.com.  The website features inventions that are submitted by users, and then it facilitates a process for other users to provide feedback and ideas on things such as the design elements, additional functionality, product name, and tag line.  There is a voting process every step along the way so only the best products, names, features and other elements make it to the final product.  Obviously my focus has been on office supply related products submitted on Quirky.com, but there are plenty of other products available to influence as well.  With that said, lets look at today’s product review of The Plug Hub from Quirky and Jared Joyce.

The Plug Hub Box

The Plug Hub is one of the first products that I was involved with on Quirky that made it through the entire product development process and actually got produced and sold.  It is designed to help users get a handle on the messy cord and cable systems that seem to grow and tangle over time underneath our desks.  As a side note, that tag line that you see on the box “Rid the Rat’s Nest.” is one of the many elements of the product that Quirky users get to come up with and vote on, which in turn earns them influence on the product, and a future percentage of sales of the product.

A Side View of the Quirky Plug Hub with the Compartment Open

The Plug Hub is made up of a bottom shelf that you sit a power strip on, and above it you will find an enclosed set of three spools that allow you to wrap excess cord around.  The simple idea here is that the wrapping system allows you to make sure that your excess cord is not making a mess under your desk.  It also helps to keep any excess wire out of sight so that your desk area can be more visually appealing.

The Plug Hub with Some Wires Plugged in and Ready to Go

I may not have been the ideal candidate for this product because I had recently did a bit of reorganizing of my desk and all of the wiring, so my pictures of this in actual use may look a bit sparse.  Overall though, it was really simple to set this up and get all of my plugs and cables under control  I found that the smooth lines and gentle colors (including the turquoise accent) in the front made for a better organized desk AND the unit itself was just very visually appealing.  An additional note about that turquoise accent, its not just there to look pretty, it is a rubberized foot that keeps the unit from sliding about.

The Plug Hub is All Set and Looking Good!

A more detailed look at the Quirky “Influence” as it played out:

As I said earlier in the review, the Quirky website helps inventors get support and input for their new idea, and at the same time offers what they call ‘influence’ based on the feedback that you give on the product…assuming it is incorporated into the final design.  Each point of influence then translates into you earning a money for every unit of the product that is sold.

Summary of Quirky “Influence” and Jared’s 35%

In the case of the inventor of the Plug Hub, Jared Joyce, you can see he gained 35% influence, which makes total sense since it was his idea.  The really cool thing here is that everyone else who contributed a winning idea to the development of this product is also named in the product user manual.  If you look really closely (and assuming my red circle gets your attention) you can see where I am listed there for my contributions to the final product.

Just a Few of the Influencers that Earn from Each Plug Hub Sale – More Names are on the Back too!

Admittedly, that whopping .0727% isn’t exactly going to buy me the new watch I’ve been eyeing, but I have been steadily contributing and voting on Quirky to many products.  At the time of writing this I’ve earned about $50 on Quirky across over a dozen products, so I have a ways to go before that watch will get purchased.  Regardless of all of that, it is a really fun process, it is quite rewarding to get to see your name in print as a contributor to one (or many) of the sites successful products.

If you are up to it, try your luck and start contributing or voting on some ideas over at Quirky.com, but before you start, you might also want to consider picking up a Plug Hub for yourself to get that mess under your desk organized.

©2016, Brian Greene. All rights reserved.