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Opening the packaging, unwrapping the cellophane, untwisting the cable ties and key-cutting tape is as much a part of the technology ritual as meditating on which device to buy in the first place.
But that first whiff of silica gel and plastic-infused air can seem a little sterile. Technology has come to mean sleek, metallic and smooth. Impersonal by definition of its mass production.
This Christmas I've found the perfect antedote: a selection of handmade wooden products from Grovemade. As described on the website, the team is "a family of creators -- close knit and a little crazy -- handcrafting goods at our workshop in Portland, Oregon".
The products in question are various Apple-related items that inject some handmade love into iMacs, MacBooks and iPhones. I've been trying out their Desk furniture and it's been like having a new friend in the office.
The Keyboard Tray adds a Maple outer to the standard Mac keyboard. But not only this, once inserted the keyboard can be hinged up to store space batteries and bits and bobs underneath.
I've also got the Wrist Pad that extends the Tray for more comfortable typing.
The Monitor stand extends my Maple makeover and for the first time puts my iMac at the right height for better posture.
Conveniently, it also creates space underneath to store the Keyboard Tray when not in use.
It's all very functional but that's not why I have become so attached to it. Bringing these handmade items into my workspace has made it feel more creative, less metallic and (if it doesn't sound too grandiose) more human.
These aren't perfect products, but not in the focus group critique kind of way. The imperfections here speak of the process and the people who made these products. The wood has a grain that is allowed to show through, the cork and leather and metal join neatly but not always seamlessly. The dimensions feel precise but offer a little give one way and another in a way that machined products iterate out.
These aren't the cheapest additions to my working setup but I can see the price in the effort that's gone into making them. As Grovemade puts it, "sometimes the best way is the hard way", I am inclined to agree.
Next up from them is an iPhone 6 case and a Watch that promises something of an alternative (antithesis?) to the Apple Watch.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
