Here's an example of how cultural norms can influence product design.
In most parts of America, if you want a gun, you can go out and buy one (assuming no criminal record). People who covet guns can get them.
In China, private gun ownership is virtually non-existent. Which perhaps explains why Mechtron, a Chinese manufacturer of power tools, designs theirs to look like firearms. This is their G-Pro, a cordless drill:
You load the battery like a magazine:
The charging base has little drawers where the bits are arranged like bullets:
Even the marketing depicts the tool as if it's generating a muzzle flash, and speaks of "explosive power:"
If anything, I'm shocked they don't offer a shoulder holster for it.
I guess this design scratches some itch in the target market, inspired by either action movies or anime.
The company is also currently Kickstarting a "pressure washer*" with an assault rifle form factor.
*(Actual pressure washers are dangerous, and this isn't that—it's a glorified water pistol. In the demo video, the model uses it to spray his kids and wash a dog.)
Anyways, just imagine how different American jobsites would look if everyone was toting Mechtron tools.
