Why do hair-dryers look the way they do? I have a few theories (I may be wrong, but let’s dig in anyway)… Based off the shape of the gun, instead of firing bullets, they fire hot blasts of air. I guess that pretty much explains the shape of the petrol pump dispenser too. Plus, I’ve always noticed that blowers (or dispensers) of any kind usually have circular mouths. Is it because our mouths take on a circular shape to blow efficiently? Who knows!

Anyway, there’s no reason for the hair-dryer to look the way it does. Here’s an image of the first ever hair-dryer by Alexander Godefroy and it’s easy to see that we’ve done little to give it a radical makeover. Well, all that changes with the Squared Dryer by Jiyoun Kim & Junyoung Jang. The new, unapologetically radical, slender hair-dryer is a boon for every dressing table. Unlike its bulbous, bulky ancestor, the entire hair-dryer is slender, foldable, and has the footprint of a small square box. The air blows out as a result in a vertical channel, allowing you to cover a larger part of your hair when held upright. Easy to slide into dresser drawers, or just as easily display proudly on top of the dressing table, the Squared Dryer even comes with a slick snap-on container for wire-management so that that unsightly cord isn’t all over the place. Plus, would you look at that absolutely delicious gradient on the base?! Good job challenging preconceived design notions, Squared Dryer, good job…

Designers: Jiyoun Kim & Junyoung Jang.