Drain Cap Pop-Up button

In the pictures above you can see a curious drain cap that works as a pop-up button: you press it to close the drain that holds the water in the basin, you press it again to open the drain letting the water flow. In this design there are no levels or pull systems used to raise or lower a metal fixture and hence to open or close the drain: the interface and the interaction are simplified and comes to the single movement of pressing a button.

Having seen this interface for the first time, I find it amusing. Honestly, it took me few moments to decipher how to open the drain (the geek part of me was looking for switches on the wall, as if the drain was electrically powered), but despite the confusion for the first-time user, I like a lot the simplicity of this design. The sink seems also easier to clean, as one controller (the drain level) is not anymore necessary. On the other side, I can anticipate how might be problematic to open and close the drain if there is very hot or cold water in the sink.

This interface is a good example of how less is more and it can be applied in designing everyday's objects. Haven't seen though this product elsewhere before, I also wonder how hard would it be to change current standards and users' practices, even when the newly provided method is better.