Whether it's a suitcase, a lamp, or a pair of flip flops, the best designers can seamlessly blend form and function to make their products truly unique.
These folks balance creative, conceptual, freeform thinking with the practical, industrial constraints of actually getting things made, and when they succeed, people notice it as much as when they fail. Especially the members of this particular subreddit.
Sharing pictures of the best concepts they can find, this online community has shown time and time again that while money can't buy you happiness, it can get you a lot of cool stuff.
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This Business Card
Simple And Well Executed
We regular users who get to experience a product only after it's finished often don't even realize how much effort people put into producing it.
Preparing an older design piece, we contacted Nicole Phillips, a creative working in the industry since 2005 with a background in fine arts and advertising. Phillips specializes in logo design, branding, and package design for food & beverage, beauty, health, and interior design clients, and she said that design is a process that requires research, experimentation, and even a bit of psychology.
"When I feel frustrated with the process, I remind myself to take a step back, have fun, and play," Phillips told Bored Panda back then. "It's those moments of play and experimentation that usually create the best results, but it's those hours of research that help build the foundation for the final result."
"My clients are not paying me for my time, they are paying me for my many years of experience, so if I am able to complete the design process in 5 hours rather than 5 weeks, this is a sign of my years of experience and knowledge, this is valuable," she added.
This Plug That Doesn’t Bother Other Plugs
Soy Sauce Dishes That “Reveal” A Painting Once You Fill Them Up
This Notebook Has Hexagonal Paper For Taking Notes In Organic Chemistry Class
When people are trying to figure out if a particular design is any good, they often turn to Dieter Rams and his '10 commandments.' According to Rams, 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.
Nicole Phillips agrees with the German design legend.
"Good design includes a good balance of function, form, and fun," Phillips said. "The user shouldn't have to try too hard to get what they need from the design. Good design isn't just aesthetics, it should communicate well and push boundaries a bit. Good design solves problems."
Cracked Log Lamp
Partially Submerged Hippo Table
This Customizable Table Lamp
Motivational Gym Shirt
An Air Less Tire
Dog Cards
Incredibly Accurate Death Star Firepit
L'orange Perfume Bottle Set. Parfums De Marcy, 1925
To The User With The Dancing Cat, I Raise To You My Own Dancing Cat!
These Measuring Cups Are Designed To Visually Represent Fractions For Intuitive Use!
Grandfather Clock
A Highlighter Which Doesn't Block Your Vision
It's A Mug That Stops Coffee From Running All Of The Way Down
Pop Out Outlet
This Corner Light Makes It Looks Like Your Wall Is Peeling Away And Revealing Something Behind It
Typewriter For Music
This Banana Peel Safety Cone
Suitcase That Displays Its Own Weight
This Light Up Stick Figure Costume
A Built-In Watering Hole For Your Pets
Groot Pot
Thor's Hammer Toolbox
The Omoshiro Block: A Memo Pad That Reveals Objects As It Gets Used
This Carpet
Norwegian Shoe Drying Machine. For Those Who Live In Wet Or Snowy Environments, Must Be A Trouble Saver
This Ceramic Coffee Mug That Looks Like It's Made Of Cardboard
This Crab Multi Tool
This Viking Longboat Conference Table
Come On Little Buddy
Dang that looks cozy. I want a giant snuggle pod to be carried around in now.
A Lounge Chair Built Into The Dock
This Hanging Lounger Swing
Beautifully Stacked Bowls
I love stacking stuff due to lack of space we have, alright for me, but hubby calls it “the jinga house “
The Best Maternity Shirt Ever
Pretty Sure All Horror Novels Should Come With Covers Like This
Minimal Playing Cards
Absolute Unit Of A Couch
Fold-Out BBQ For Space Saving
More points if it looked like the computer from SG1 that caught Jack O'Neill's head
Bulbasaur Pot
This Jar Is Shaped To Look Like A Ziplock Bag
Lamp From IKEA
This is at my local IKEA I’d get one but £30 quid for a light shade I think I’ll stick with my recycled wire bin thanks
Inverse Of An Hourglass
A Resin Orb I Made
This Guy Lurking In The Living Room
Color Changing Mat Which Turns Red When Wet
There's a matching shower curtain and towel set to this. You can make your bathroom look like bloody murder
Someone Made Trump Tweet Flipflops
Be Great For Kids
If I Could Have One Thing In Life, It'd Be This Bed
This Doggy Bunk Bed
Stained Glass Rainbow Piano Box
Chess Board In A Ring
How To Fix Damn Near Everything Flask Book
Refrigerator With A Removable Pitcher Built In To The Door
This Mini Boat. Because Why Not?
Game Of Thrones Dragon Lamp
This Aluminium Lamp
Pixelated Playing Cards
This Astronomical Watch
Smart Cloud Interactive Lamp & Bluetooth Speaker System
This USB Fan/Clock
Card-Sized Pocket Tetris!
This LED Clock
Minimalistic Steel Pen
LEGO Slippers Designed By LEGO To Step On LEGO
This Crushed Paper Waste Basket
If I had this, the jar that looks like a bag, and the cup that looks like discarded cardboard, I would be worried that my guests would get distracted trying to figure out what the wadded up tissues on the floor are really for.
This Handheld Printer
Bottled Water Shaped Like A Dumbbell
Engagement Box
This Floating Wine Glass
I can just imagine having splashing guests and ruined, discolored pool water!
Death Star Ice Cube
Innovative Japan
This Japanese Gum Have Little Pieces Of Paper Inside For You To Spit Your Gum In To When You’re Finished With It
This is a good idea. When I first read it, I thought it was saying that the gum itself has little pieces of paper in it. (Dentyne, of course, is wrapped in wax paper. I used to chew the paper when I couldn't figure out what to do with it, which wasn't 100% pleasant.)
Alarm Clock By Ihome Shows The Time On The Front And Sides So You Can Check The Time In Bed Without Having To Move. The Sides Are Also Less Bright So As Not To Bother You While Sleeping
T-Rex Toilet Paper Holder
Shot Glass In Jameson Whiskey Bottle
This Brain Cactus For Halloween
The New Etch-A-Sketch ‘Revolution’ Can Draw Circles
Thermochromic Star Trek Mugs
A Bottle Of Rum In A Bottle Of Vodka
Magnetic Cookie Dunker
Nintendo Game Boy Refrigerator Magnets
In Beer Veritas
Mobile LED Lights
My Toothpaste Will Never Be Squozen The Same
I just use the handle of my toothbrush without adding even more plastic to the world
Ms Paint
This Mechanical Lock
This Bike's Gear Shifting Visual Aid
This Wooden Word Clock
This Table's Length Can Be Doubled
Door Handle That Functions When Pulled In Any Direction
Automatic Card Dealer
Squirtle Pet Costume
This Pressurized Cap Infuses The Water With Tea
This Japanese Candy
don't know what kind of candy it is but it looks like a sick tounge
Toilet Timer
Have No Idea Who Made This But It’s Damn Cool
My husband and I just got an alarm clock that gradually becomes brighter as your wake up time approaches. By the time your alarm is reached, it's like the sun is pouring into the room. You can also set it to have birds chirping at louder intervals as you go along. Much more relaxing wake up than a screeching alarm or a loud radio.
I see y'all put this out just in time to help with my Christmas list to Santa.
Some clever ideas, but mostly novel gadgets that people get tired of or that get outdated and end up in a landfill. In our desperation for a dopamine ping, we're killing our planet and wasting our resources making all this stuff. I hope that more people start to understand how the human brain works, and how we're pushed and pulled around by instinctive desires that we're cultivating to be totally out of control.
Agreed, although some have a "buy now" button. Not all of them do though, so I agree
Load More Replies...I would never buy through Amazon but I have to give kudos to BP for adding the links to buy them. I'm sure it's a nice revenue boost for them.
My husband and I just got an alarm clock that gradually becomes brighter as your wake up time approaches. By the time your alarm is reached, it's like the sun is pouring into the room. You can also set it to have birds chirping at louder intervals as you go along. Much more relaxing wake up than a screeching alarm or a loud radio.
I see y'all put this out just in time to help with my Christmas list to Santa.
Some clever ideas, but mostly novel gadgets that people get tired of or that get outdated and end up in a landfill. In our desperation for a dopamine ping, we're killing our planet and wasting our resources making all this stuff. I hope that more people start to understand how the human brain works, and how we're pushed and pulled around by instinctive desires that we're cultivating to be totally out of control.
Agreed, although some have a "buy now" button. Not all of them do though, so I agree
Load More Replies...I would never buy through Amazon but I have to give kudos to BP for adding the links to buy them. I'm sure it's a nice revenue boost for them.