Large corporations regularly propose sleekly designed, gadget-filled smart homes for us to envision our future domestic environments. It’s easy to be attracted to these well-packaged technologies. However, is this really the future home we want to live in? Is it a little too clean? Too perfect? Too fictional?

We live in a complex society where people have embarrassing habits, irrational fears and strange anxieties. Shouldn’t products be redesigned to cater for these neglected needs? What if your weighing scales told you white lies? And your alarm clock embarrassed you if you didn’t wake up?