Everyday life is full of problems. Some are as trivial as a warm beer, while others are as threatening as a nurse being unable to find your vein for an IV.
But if there’s one thing our species is good at, it’s innovation.
So we at Bored Panda put together a new list of clever and creative ways to make the world a better place. The universe can throw at us whatever it likes; nothing stands a chance against human ingenuity.”
#1 My Local Library Has A “Library Of Things” For Residents To Borrow Useful Household Items Like Toolkits And Power Washers
Image credits: TumainiTiger
#2 Dallas Love Field Airport Offers Free Feminine Hygiene Products
Image credits: crazyoldmaurice
To get a better understanding of how such cool projects items come to life, we contacted London-based industrial designer and product visualizer Sam Gwilt, who runs a YouTube channel called Sam Does Design.
First of all, there’s lots of sketching. “From research, to concept, to refinement, to manufacturing, designing a product is an iterative process that can take years,” Gwilt told Bored Panda in an earlier interview.
“It’s important to understand what the markets and mindsets of customers will be like in the next few years (when the product launches).”
#3 Australian Company Introduces Glow-In-The-Dark Highway Paint Technology
Image credits: CryptoStunnah
#4 Traffic Light With Shining Pole
Image credits: m0rejuice
#5 This Swing That Lets Parents Swing Together With Their Kids
Image credits: J0N90
“Once a brief has been set, it’s time to design multiple concepts to find the right solution. Sketching, scribbles, and CAD modeling are all useful to refine designs,” Gwilt added.
“Each solution will be prototyped to analyse ergonomics and assembly, usually starting with rough card models, progressing to 3D prints, and then finally to full industrial tooling.”
#6 Today The Nurse Used An Infrared Vein Finder To Place An IV
Image credits: Mochanoodle
#7 UK Supermarket Has A Tag You Can Add For Carts With Wonky Wheels
Image credits: qwerty11055
#8 A Park Bench That Can Fold Into A Table
Image credits: p50cal
#9 This Elevator Has Buttons For Your Feet, So You Don’t Have To Touch The Buttons With Your Hands
Image credits: mmartinez42793
Trying to determine whether or not a particular design is good, many turn to the legendary German designer Dieter Rams and his ’10 commandments.’
According to him, good design is innovative, makes a product useful, is aesthetic, makes a product understandable, is unobtrusive, is honest, is long-lasting, is thorough down to the last detail, is environmentally friendly, and involves as little design as possible.
Even though Rams came up with his commandments a long time ago and technology has advanced light years since then, many think his principles still apply today.
#10 A Company Made A Pill Bottle With A Timer Showing When It Was Last Taken To Help People With Alzheimer’s Or Any Other Thing
Image credits: reddit.com
#11 A Sliding Chair To Help Disabled People Go Into The Sea
Image credits: sewn_of_a_gun
#12 This Bridge’s Fencing Has Holes In It For Cameras
Image credits: pizzafourlife
#13 Ballot Bins In Manchester To Encourage People To Not Litter
Image credits: _DeanRiding
“When Dieter Rams defined the 10 principles, he thought that they’d be updated and adapted over time,” Gwilt highlighted.
“It’s a good starting point; a helpful framework, but it’s exciting to see new designers from different backgrounds share their voices for what makes good design.”
#14 This Playground Has A Sign So Hearing And Deaf Kids Could Play Together
Image credits: reddit.com
#15 This Bus Stop Is Facing The Other Way To Prevent People Being Splashed By Curb Water And Dirt
Image credits: birdnerdthethird
#16 This Airport Has Exercise Bikes That Charge Your Cellphone
Image credits: analogHedgeHog
#17 Table With Hidden Compartment
Image credits: Flying_Blueberry559
Gwilt himself thinks a good design must first and foremost form an innate connection between the user and the product.
“Someone needs to look at the product, and instantly understand what it is and how it can benefit them,” he said. “The goal is to design a product that is understandable and desirable. It should integrate neatly with the existing lifestyle of the customer, and improve it for the better.”
#18 My Hospital Has A Fake LED Window On Their Ceiling
Image credits: TheGrimReefah
#19 This Vending Machine At The Hospital Selling Healthy And Affordable Meals
Image credits: bartv42
#20 Decathlon Now Sews The Labels Onto Small Scraps Of Fabric Instead Of The Actual Clothing Item, So It’s Easier To Cut Them, And They Don’t Leave Any Itchy Residue Behind
Image credits: TheFfrog
#21 My Bookshelf Came With A Tool To Hold The Nails And Position Them Perfectly
Image credits: KRA2008
For more awesome designs, fire up our earlier publications on genius solutions to everyday problems here, here, and here.
If, however, you’d like to see the opposite, check out these 50 designs that are so bad, it’s hard to believe someone came up with them.
#22 This Light Attached To The Lamp-Post Projects A Picture On The Ground To Show Where The Sidewalk Is In Case Of Snowfall
Image credits: Some_Guy_From_Sweden
#23 This Carousel In Hong Kong Has A Sea Turtle Mounted To The Floor For Disabled Children
Image credits: cuttyranking
#24 In Rotterdam, We Have Free Public Bike Repair Stations
Image credits: SummumRex2
#25 This Breathable Mattress My Infant Son Uses To Prevent Suffocation
Image credits: smzt
#26 In Finland, There Are Buttons To Thank The Bus Driver
Image credits: _Goat_Juice_
#27 These Bins In Sweden Show You What To Recycle
Image credits: helloitsduke
#28 3-Way Water Fountain. For Refilling, Sipping, And Pets
Image credits: 405freeway
#29 These Air Conditioned Construction Worker Jackets In Japan
Image credits: schmistopher
#30 The Local Brewery Doesn’t Have Gender-Specific Bathrooms, Only Stalls With Specific Types Of Toilets
Image credits: Cyko_Somatic
#31 This Mall Has An Area To Wash Your Hands Without Having To Enter The Bathroom Area
Image credits: bigmeechum
#32 This Bathroom Lock Also Works As An Accessory Tray
Image credits: zOneNzOnly
#33 The Mall Of America Parking Ramps Have Parking Availability Lights To Let People Know If There’s A Spot Available
Image credits: Meet_your_Maker_LL
#34 I Got A Waterproof Cast On My Ankle Today
Image credits: funkikomedina
#35 This Phoneless Phone Booth For Private Mobile Conversations
Image credits: PG_Gargle_Blaster
#36 This Helps To Figure Out How Much Yarn You Need For A Project
Image credits: OfficialJrizzle
#37 A Stand For Bikers To Hold On To While Waiting For The Traffic Lights In Sweden
Image credits: medmik
#38 This Hands-Free Sunscreen Machine That Rotates As It Sprays Your Body With Sunscreen
Image credits: relytyler11700
#39 A Picnic Bench With Wheelchair Access
Image credits: makaza1611
#40 Best Plug Design?
Image credits: Radiant-Watercress-1
#41 This Bar Has A Chilled Strip To Keep Your Drinks Cold
Image credits: kr5228
#42 This Pizza Box In Japan Has A Handle In The Middle To Keep The Pizza Flat
Image credits: SaekoZ2
#43 The Airport Escalator Automatically Sterilizes Handrails
Image credits: YaBoiiSpoderman
#44 Fan Pull Chains That Have A Light Bulb And Fan Blades At The End To Indicate Which Chain To Pull
Image credits: bailee77499
#45 Foldable Bus Seats So That You Could Rest Your Legs And The Seats Won’t Get Dirty
Image credits: Meeshamoosha
#46 Toilet With An Integrated Sink
Image credits: Paleresolidessedetur
#47 This Shopping Cart In France Has A Map Of The Entire Store On It
Image credits: le-iboy
#48 Sea Airport Family Restroom Has An Adult Changing Station
Image credits: mrgreenw
#49 This Airport Bathroom Has Green And Red Lights Above The Stalls To Show Which Ones Are Occupied
Image credits: magickaster
#50 This Heated Bench With A Wireless Charging Pad For Your Phone At A Bus Stop In South Korea
Image credits: Lezbi_Nerdy