Standby Monsters, designed by Rachel Turner, are “packs of small, sticky-backed lenses with a reflective internal surface. They are designed to be stuck over the standby lights on gadgets at home - turning them into little pairs of glowing red eyes” [1].

Designed to evoke an emotional response, the Standby Monsters “tap into our uneasiness about things that go bump in the night [and] give us a … nudge to remind us to turn our gadgets off properly” [1].

Comments on Standby Monsters (posted on Core 77) [1]:

- "Interesting, "eye catching", but I fear that with a little time passing, and the novelty wears off, they would become invisible again, and we are back to looking for another gadget to remind us to not waste more energy"

- "I would love to see these as a guerilla art installation - make a bunch, put them on display appliances in major retailers"

- "I love the simplicity. Using these low-cost little monsters as prompts for everyone (led by the kids) to turn off appliances on standby would have a great cost/benefit ratio for households and for the planet - family fun and educational!"

This design was one of the Finalists of the Greener Gadgets Design Competition 2009.

For more information on the Greener Gadgets Design Competition or to view some of the other product design ideas submitted this year visit: http://www.core77.com/greenergadgets/index.php