Best Buy wanted to introduce two USB hubs within their line of proprietary home office and technology products. These low-price-point offerings were obvious must-haves and didn’t really require anything beyond basic functionality.

Even so, WhiteBoard sought to raise this utilitarian product off the floor, where it was often difficult to access and buried in a tangle of cords. Providing the Dynex hubs with a sleek and contemporary design elevated them to the desktop — literally — and made them aesthetically compatible with other hardware components. Four legs tipped in rubber offered a solid, no-slip hold. And locating a few of the ports on top of the unit created easy access for mobile peripherals. Finally, WhiteBoard added a simple photo holder, further enhancing functionality while consolidating desktop real estate. This successful reconsideration of an often overlooked necessity introduced new possibilities for an old standby.

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