I have often believed that many items are under-designed. It is a point that I am revisiting due to the arrival of limited edition Sky HD boxes designed by British greats in the arena. To see all the designs head over to the website and assess their efforts. We were fortunate enough to see these a few months ago and were suitably impressed.

There are not many consumable products on offer that place a paramount on the aesthetic which equals that given to functionality. After looking at my friends generic games console back in the day, I’ve often marvelled at the limited availability of colour and invention tied to desirable gadgetry. The console in question was obliterated by stickers in such a way that it was clearly owned. It said something about him.

Take the example of televisions, desktop and laptop computers, consoles and white goods in general. White goods? The name says it all. All these items are basically monochrome, available in white or black, or if you’re lucky grey! There are naturally exceptions to this, Apple being the most notable and they have been commended over and over for this, others should be following this model in their droves.

That is why Artswom welcomes the arrival of Sky’s designer HD boxes. Trend setting is a brave thing to do, and although limited to only 130 per designer, the desirability of the set top boxes may prompt others to push the boundaries. Each of the five invited designers has created a skin for the Sky HD box. The names are heavyweights of the fashion and design industry - Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders, Basso and Brooke, Preen and Gareth Pugh. This initiative means it is now possible to watch Scarlett Johansson wearing Preen in HD on a HD box wearing Preen.