There are three things that warm our hearts, dear Pandas, and we hope that you’re fans of them, too. Funny cat pics (because who can ever get enough of those?), wholesome stories, and—last but certainly not least—creative designs. It’s that last category that our team here at Bored Panda really wants to share with you today.
We’re featuring some of the best and brightest designs we’ve seen. Some of these are genius while others are so simple-but-effective that we’re sad we didn’t think of them first. Whatever the case, these designers truly push the boundaries of creativity with their imaginations. We’d love it if you’d upvote the photos that you like the most and be sure to let us know in the comments which of these pics you enjoyed the most and why.
Pssst, Pandas, if you want some more amazing design pics, we’re more than happy to let you into our mini-galleries. Check out our earlier articles right here, here, and here for some artful inspiration.
Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, an incredibly skilled pie artist and the author of 'Pies Are Awesome: The Definitive Pie Art Book,' was kind enough to walk Bored Panda through her thoughts on good design, creativity, motivation, the world of Pie Art, and how to balance the needs of the customer and audience with the desires of the artist. Scroll down to read her artistic insights, dear Pandas.
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This Lamp Post Holds Up An Umbrella For A Spot On The Bench
I absolutely adore this. Even if not resting from the rain, to get out of the hot, beating sun for a moment during a walk is a godsend.
Bored Panda was interested to get pie artist Jessica's take on how much designers and creatives should focus on the audience and end-users, and how much they should try to stay true to their artistic vision.
"I have a loose 'three for them, one for me' policy when it comes to my art. Riding emerging trends and tapping into the cultural zeitgeist certainly helps when you are trying to build a following. And as much as I would love to just make what I want all the time, my art puts food on the table (figuratively and literally), so I have to pay attention to what the people respond most to," Jessica explained to Bored Panda.
I'm Lovin' It
An Amputee Doll
I saw a video once of a little girl with a prosthetic leg unwrapping a doll who also had a prosthetic. She started happy-sobbing and saying "SHE'S LIKE ME!" in between sobs. It was beyond heartwarming.
"But sometimes I’ll get the urge to create something obscure that I know no corporate partner will care for, and only a tiny portion of the population will appreciate, but will make me happy. So if I’ve got the energy, I’ll go for it. And not shockingly, it is a lot easier to find the energy for these types of works! I often end up surprised by the response to the 'one for me' pies, however. Maybe because they are made with a little more care and love, but oftentimes people will like those just as much as my more 'mainstream' offerings, even if they aren’t familiar with the subject matter," she said that the audience can always surprise you with what they end up liking.
"I wonder if folks can guess which of my pies fall into the 'one for me' category?" she mused.
Though a lot of designers, artists, and creatives frequently encounter creative roadblocks, Jessica is one of the lucky few who never really had to deal with them (and we might be a bit jealous!). "I have sketchbooks filled with hundreds more Pie Art concepts than I could ever make in ten lifetimes… And there is so much creative inspiration out there in the world! All I have to do is look at craftspeople at the top of their game in a couple of different areas—watchmakers, architects, gardeners, painters, poets, etc.—and my mind is filled to the top with new ideas again," she shared that we can look to nearly any area in life for inspiration.
This Crack In The Pavement Filled With A Stained Glass Cat Portrait
Local Kmart Has A Doll With Down’s Syndrome
Like I said in another comment I worked in a group home for developmentally disabled. They absolutely loved South Park for Timmy and Jimmy they would laugh because they knew someone like that or they were someone like that and they found it very funny.
IV Bag Plant Watering Thing I Saw At My Dr's Office
"The biggest challenge to my work is not the 'creativity tank,' it’s the 'energy/motivation' tank. Professional artists who have to balance commercial realities against artistic passions I think all have to deal with finding ways to keep that 'motivation tank' topped up. It’s not always easy! But I find that being around other creative working professionals and talking with them about it helps a lot."
Jessica explained to Bored Panda that "it is critical" to plan out every last detail in advance when it comes to Pie Art. "Once your dough is rolled out, the clock is ticking! If you allow the fat in your dough to melt, you’ll lose the little pockets of air in the finished pie dough that create that delicious flaky mouth-feel, and you’ll end up with tough leathery crust instead," she explained why exactly time is so important. When it comes to turning her latest project into reality, every minute counts and the race against time is on.
Sometimes A Rainy Day Ain't That Bad
When I Bought My House, The Title Company Gave Me A Digital Copy Of All My Documents On A Thumb Drive Shaped Like A House Key
The Room Number For Mammogram Testing
"To circumvent this, I fully sketch out my designs in advance and create paper or acetate templates to help me cut out pieces as fast as humanly possible. I even take things a step further and walk through the whole process in my mind before I take the dough out to the fridge. Visualizing the process this way allows me to spot any steps I may have missed—like a tool I’ve forgotten to set out, or the fact that I’ll probably want tea while I’m working and should put the kettle on now—which saves precious minutes of working time."
However, she noted that things can still "go sideways from time to time." Nobody's perfect and mistakes sometimes happen even to the best of the best. These mistakes, however, help push the boundaries of what's possible. "Less often these days, but when I am working with a new technique or unfamiliar dough, there is always the possibility that I will suddenly find myself needing to get creative to solve a problem on the fly. Sometimes, these last-minute saves end up becoming 'proper Pie Art technique cannon' down the road! 'Happy Accidents' are real."
The Local Blood Bank Has These Signs To Show How Much Blood They Have
The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
The Porsche 944 Hot Wheel Designer Had Cancer, The Stethoscope Was Added By Ryu To Pay Tribute To His Cancer Doctor, Who Drove A 944. Rest In Peace Ryu Asada
Associate Professor of Design Studies Tim Antoniuk, from the University of Alberta, previously shared with Bored Panda his take on design, including his opinion on Dieter Rams’ legendary 10 principles of good design.
He believes that Rams “does a great job” identifying what makes a design good. However, the principles themselves might not stand the test of time as well as could be hoped.
"That said, given the speed of change that we encounter today in our lives in the digital environment that we live in, I believe that some great design is not necessarily timeless. One example is seen in Interface Design, Ux Design, and in-service design. As new layers get added into our lives, things naturally have an evolutionary cycle,” Tim explained.
“This is different from furniture which naturally can be more ubiquitous and designed to fit the human body. There is a great deal of fuzziness in this discussion but I do believe that the essence of this idea is true," he mused.
This Toaster's Cord Has Finger Pull
My Thai Food Came With A Chork
This Doorknoob At My Butcher's
According to the design expert, someone’s personal taste creates a gray area between designs that are objectively good or bad.
"The gray area comes in when people start to talk about taste and about degrees of aesthetic. I may love the design of Bauhaus furniture, for example, while somebody may feel that it is too cold and void of personality. Not unlike great art, I believe that much of what came from this era is ‘great design,’ in part because it represents an era and a philosophy. When we start to mix in discussions of taste and preference, that is where the gray areas of good and bad design get blurred."
In the expert’s opinion, we can intuitively feel if a design is good. "Quite often, this relates to ergonomics and the usability or functionality of the products and services and systems. Having said that, I think far too many people expect poor design that doesn’t really work well," Tim told us.
Elvish - Elvin Silverware
This Hourglass-Shaped Traffic Light
LEGO Set Included This Figure/Wheelchair And Incorporates A Wheelchair Access Ramp Into The Build
The upside is that good design is a skill that can be learned. Through practice and exposure to quality. And lots of it. "For me, great design is what Dieter [Rams] talks about—it is also intuitive, it is deeply sympathetic and empathetic to the user at all levels, and at some level, it is emotional. It is a catalyst for giving us feelings."
I Found A Pen And The Pen Cap Is Shaped Like A Cat
The Banisters At My Hotel Were Held Up By Little Metal Men
This Airplane Was Designed To Look Like A Whale
I've seen a housefly, and I've seen a greenfly, but I ain't never seen a whale fly!
Some time ago, pie artist and all-around creative Jessica spoke to Bored Panda about people’s sense of taste and aesthetics.
“Our sense of taste is a product of our upbringing and the people and content we are exposed to throughout our life, particularly during our formative years,” she explained to us.
Found Band-Aids For Different Skin Tones At Target
This LEGO Set Has A Loose Change In The Couch
The Benches At My Local Library Are Books
These are a maintenance nightmare, but I absolutely love the visual impact!
“Different cultures, different families, different peer groups place different value on different aesthetic conventions. If we want to ‘fit in’ with whatever group we are affiliating with, we tend to morph our own personal tastes to match that of the group,” Jessica said that we adapt to our social environments.
Pencil Bollards Outside A School In London
This Lidl Lithuania Grocery Bag Promoting Paper Bags Over Plastic Ones
These Cups/Glasses In The Freiburg Football Stadium Have Hollow Handles, You Can Carry Up To Four In A Single Hand
“But what if we don’t want to ‘fit in’ and conform our taste to match the crowd? Well, that’s where things get interesting,” the artist noted that this leads to interesting growth.
“Once a person has, for whatever reason, decided to expand their horizons beyond what is naturally presented to them in their immediate circles then something magical happens: their true ‘personal taste’ begins to coalesce,” she said.
The Sinks Inside The Le Creuset Headquarters Are Dutch Ovens
If the Dutch Ovens are in the bathroom, then..... what are they using in the kitchen??? Aaaaaaah! :))))))
Origami Bird Lamp
My Grandma's Chinese Teacups Where You Can See A Woman's Face When You Put Them Against The Light (From 2 Different Sets)
“We may be born into a family/community that places a high value on exploring different aesthetic forms and embarking on journeys of personal discovery. We may be born into a family/community that punishes any deviation beyond the accepted norms,” Jessica told us.
“But we always have the choice to learn about something new. Taste may always be somewhat subjective, but the more forms of aesthetic content we seek out and allow ourselves to be exposed to, the better our shot at claiming that elusive, ‘good taste’ badge!”
Legos Inspired Bollards
Thought This Was A Very Clever Way To Make A Caution Sign. It's Still Highly Visible And Does It's Job But With Some Fun
As an added bonus it was in a Jamba Juice so it makes sense with their aesthetic.
This Tesla Charger Set Up To Look Like A Vintage Gas Pump
The Force Is Strong With My Yoda Book End
Door Handle As John Lennon’s Glasses
Puzzle Carpet
Play A Friendly Game Of Football While You Sit At These Tables
This Bread Knife In A Swiss Restaurant Has A Silhouette Of The Major Peaks In Switzerland
Kaunas, Lithuania On Valentine’s Day
Where I come from, during Pride they changed the little figures to same-sex couples holding hands in one part of the city. In fact I think they're still there.
Wonderful Paintbrush Packaging - Mexico
My Boss' Mousepad Shaped Like A Tiny Rug
Nono nono; it's the Magic Carpet from Aladdin! It must've shrunk in the washing machine.
This Awesome Little Sponge Holder
Every Vauxhall Car Built Since 2004 Has A Hidden Shark Somewhere In The Car. Found Mine In The Glove Box
This LEGO Bonsai Set Uses Small Pink Frogs To Portray Cherry Blossoms
Japanese Restaurant Has A Tiny Mt Fuji In The Base Of Their Glasses
I bought my husband a set of whisky glasses with various mountains of the US. I don’t think he’s ever used them, but I think they were pretty cool
Maneki-Neko Statues In My Local Gym
This 1 Cup Milk Pitcher
This Pen At The Doctor's Office
A Vertical Chessboard
Such a vertical chessboard would have been useful when I was a young boy. At that time I played chess with my dad. The chessboard was placed beside the main entrance of our house. Every morning before going to work he made a move and I had to make my move before the next morning, usually late in the evening. Having such a vertical board mounted to the wall would have been a nice touch.
A Very Literal Half Pint
The Coke Bottle On This Cup Is Transparent So The Bottle Empties As You Drink
This Tic-Tac-Toe Toilet Paper Holder
A Push/Pull Sign On The Door Of A Glasses Shop
I Give You The Wolverfork
Oh geez I searched 'Wolverfork" and look what popped up: download-6...b903bb.jpg
Sushi Bar's Sushi Chairs
Bike Racks I Saw With A Cool Perspective Trick Built-In
Bus Interior Made To Look Like A Forest
Like that spell in Harry Potter that makes the ceiling the same as the sky
Someone Put A Bob Ross Toaster In Our Breakroom, And It Burns An Image Of Bob Ross Onto The Toast
As nifty as this is, that toast looks like it is under and over toasted at the same time.
My Ice Cube Tray Is Tetris Shapes
My 1000 Piece Puzzle Has A Cheat Code
It is mostly for sorting the pieces. And you wil also have 24 tiny puzzles to solve instead of 1.
These Six Packs When Stacked On Each Other Create Something Special
I'm afraid I would have to mess with that. It's like the old children's flip books where you could make the top half different to the bottom half.
This Flat Fire Extinguisher I Found
My Beer Mat Revealed A Hidden Image After It Collected Enough Condensation
Bought 2 Different Sizes Of Shoes, But The Boxes Align Perfectly With One Another
This Hotsauce Set I Got For Christmas
This Mug I Found With A Tea Bag Holder
Chess Pieces Made Out Of Hardware
A Bike Stand Built Into A Park Bench
Croissant Night Light
How long before someone tries to take a bite out of it, I wonder.
Pug Measuring Tape I Found For My Wife
This Bottle Opener
Elemental Dice
These Street Benches In Buenos Aires Are Made Of Cement
The Indian 1 Rupee Coin Just Has A Dude Giving A Thumbs Up On It
My Daughter's Dinosaur Puzzle Has Dinosaur-Shaped Pieces
My daughter would have loved this, when she was in her dinosaur phase
Biggest Foosball Table I’ve Ever Seen
The Bench In This 24-Hour Laundry Is A Giant Clothespin
My Cup Noodles Lid Is Also A Cat That Greets You When You Open It Halfway
Scissors
Americans Put Cups Of Water In The Microwave So Maybe We Need This Kettle Tower
This Mirror In The Front Of My Hotel Looks Like You Can Walk Through It
These Fish Socks From Japan
The Lights Outside My Local Pharmacy Are Shaped Like Syringes
This Book Teaching Children How To Tie Shoes Look Like A Shoe
This Jeep’s Brake Lights Are Jeeps
And the jeep brake lights are jeeps and the jeep brake lights are jeeps ...
I Saw This Doorstop Today That Is The Titanic Sinking
I mean, cool I guess but also crass. It WAS a long time ago, but thousands died.
These Priority Seats On A Train Come With Designs Showing Examples Of Who Might Need Them
The pregnant woman and I'm assuming woman (sexiest assumption also) with child are sitting with their legs together and off to the side. The dude with the cane and the dude with the crutch are manspreading.
Bottled Water Shaped Like A Dumbbell
I got advertisements for this kind of water before, but I think it was a different brand. Funny cuz I'd never seen anything like this until recently
This Older Keyboard I Found In An Office While Cleaning On Campus
I used one like this for a while, it’s ergonomic and actually quite nice to use. I don’t know why they didn’t catch on.
A Pen, Ruler, Level, And Stylist All In One
Unique Packaging Design By Angelina Pischikova
This Gas Station Sells Ampersand Shaped Donuts
The Donut Stand In Our Mall Is Shaped Like A Box Of Donuts
I wish we has a Krispy Kreme kiosk. No wait I'm trying to lose weight. Screw it yes I do. You only live once.
This Minnesota Judicial Branch Pencil With An Eraser Shaped Like A Gavel
Bench In Front Of A Public Building, Corte Madera, California
This Pattern On This Bench At My Vet
Cheese Cutter From The Swedish Museum In Philadelphia
Those Sealife-Shaped Anti-Skateboarding Guards On Sf Embarcadero
This Clock At The Erasmus MC In Rotterdam Uses A Video Of People Brooming Up Trash As Clock Hands
My Koala Snacks Are Wearing Little Masks
I Bought A $14k Staircase Today And It Came With A Little Example Model
Someone Bought Me LEGO Highlighters
Saw These Cute Little Stools At A Burger Joint
The Legs On This Table In The Idaho State Capitol Building
I Saw Wood Carved Stop Sign
This Book On Money Is Designed Like A Credit/Debit Card
You Can Now Choose The Race Of Santa On Gap Socks
Our Ramen Kit Came With A LEGO Man Butter
Here's Johnny Bookshelf Decoration
This Packaging For Pineapple Cakes, I Saw In The Chinese Supermarket
This Gymnasium Wall That Consists Of People Doing Sports
Skatepark Bench
This Blender Company's Front Door
University Coffee Shop Used Pencils Instead Of Tile At Counter
A Gas Station In My Country Uses Gas Pump Handles As Door Handles For Their Restrooms
A Packet Of Olive Oil Shaped Like An Olive
This Book Stand
Ah yes, my favorite way to make a burger, Ham, Cheese, Beef, BEER AND FOOD :)
Sushi Train Restaurant Had A Train Serving Sushi
Goodwill Find: Hershey's PC Mouse Has Built-In Aquarium With Tiny Floating Candies
These Texas Shaped Bricks In Texas
Super Mario Pipe Mug
Screwnicorn Corkscrew
LEGO Brick Shoe Box
The Windows At My Local Library
This Watch That Looks Like A Bracelet When The Time Isn't Displayed
Asics Shoe Boxes Designed As Painkiller Packets
*please say it’s cardboard and not plastic, please say it’s cardboard and not plastic*
My Buddy’s Ancient PS1 Has A Screen On Top Of It
“Thirsty Scholar” Bar In Helsinki, Finland
Perhaps those who drink there have triple-digit I.Q.s & are warm? Let's check it out! In 2022, Finland was rated Happiest Country~~for 5th year in a row! Countries are measured by low crime rates, an abundance of natural beauty, an emphasis on community & co-operation, universal health care & few people living in poverty. [Denmark 2nd, Iceland 3rd.]
The Clock Of A Local Hair Saloon
The Hands On My Watch Move Out Of The Way So They Don't Obstruct The Little Screen
This Restaurant In DC Uses Table Football Figures For Their Restroom Gender Designations
These Round Dice
Nah the Bob Ross toaster isn't cool. The leeches who stole his name and likeness are literally using Bob and his legacy to make millions... bob's family gets NOTHING from his legacy and his career. despite Bob wanting them to... don't buy Bob Ross ANYTHING! Watch the doc on Netflix
Well, I like the plug on the toaster, if that is the toaster you are talking about, but other than that I agree with you about the people who grabbed Bob Ross' legacy and are making millions.
Load More Replies...A lot of cute and pointless designs, but I guess the really impressive ones are when you go, "Wow, why didn't someone think of that before and why isn't that the standard?"
The comments are pretty disappointing. People go out of their way to make something unique, and all anyone can do is complain that it's pointless, or ugly (usually not), or "dumb." I'm just glad that someone went out of their way to stop putting another characterless item in the world.
THANK YOU!! The whole time I was reading this article, I was thinking what a group of whiny, picky, negative people the comments section was! And then people like you and me, who make comments like this, get downvoted to Hell. Like geeze, people. It's really okay to just take something at face value sometimes. Just enjoy the cute, and move on. Try some freaking positivity for a change. The world is shítty enough already. Stop adding to it. Dámn, man... Like I always say, some people just aren't happy, unless they're UNhappy. Some people will bítch about the box they're buried in.
Load More Replies...I really enjoyed the brilliant designs. They made me smile, and sometimes that is all I need for the day.
Nah the Bob Ross toaster isn't cool. The leeches who stole his name and likeness are literally using Bob and his legacy to make millions... bob's family gets NOTHING from his legacy and his career. despite Bob wanting them to... don't buy Bob Ross ANYTHING! Watch the doc on Netflix
Well, I like the plug on the toaster, if that is the toaster you are talking about, but other than that I agree with you about the people who grabbed Bob Ross' legacy and are making millions.
Load More Replies...A lot of cute and pointless designs, but I guess the really impressive ones are when you go, "Wow, why didn't someone think of that before and why isn't that the standard?"
The comments are pretty disappointing. People go out of their way to make something unique, and all anyone can do is complain that it's pointless, or ugly (usually not), or "dumb." I'm just glad that someone went out of their way to stop putting another characterless item in the world.
THANK YOU!! The whole time I was reading this article, I was thinking what a group of whiny, picky, negative people the comments section was! And then people like you and me, who make comments like this, get downvoted to Hell. Like geeze, people. It's really okay to just take something at face value sometimes. Just enjoy the cute, and move on. Try some freaking positivity for a change. The world is shítty enough already. Stop adding to it. Dámn, man... Like I always say, some people just aren't happy, unless they're UNhappy. Some people will bítch about the box they're buried in.
Load More Replies...I really enjoyed the brilliant designs. They made me smile, and sometimes that is all I need for the day.