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.
I worked in a group home and they were developmentally disabled they loved South Park because Timmy and Jimmy were like them or someone they knew. They really laughed at those episodes that centered around them.
Load More Replies...This is wonderful! Not only is she an amputee, but an athlete too. An inspiring message that anybody can achieve their goals.
My mom had cancer in the 1970s when I was a little girl. I stayed with my aunt and uncle when she was in the hospital to have her leg amputated. They were worried that I would be traumatized by seeing my mom without her leg, so they took a doll and amputated it's leg and made a prosthetic and crutches for me to play with to help me understand. It's nice to see dolls like that available on the market now.
This is so incredibly awesome! If anyone wants to see a truly amazing, talented, and inspirational athlete, I highly recommend watching videos and interviews with Paralympian and world champion fencer, Bebe Vio.
Still blonde haired with blue eyes. I guess it's a start, but why should it default to blonde hair/blue eyes Every. Single. Time.
The gold metal is the perfect touch. Whoever thought of this is a genius
This phenomenon called positive toxicity. In this case you are forced to be pol-correct whatever the price is. I know you wont upvote this, because you also a victim of this system and yet to recognize, that it is toxic. So its okay. But it won't change the fact. Imagine yourself as a kid. Even if you had some disability, or "defect", you dreamed to be normal (it could be a different topik, how "normal" can be toxic, just bare with me now). Now, why on earth would you play with something what is a constant reminder of your own disability? Play supposed to be fun, not pol-correct. Playing is a dream world, where everyone can be what they want - we call this normal. Did you ever dreamed of "how fun it would be, if I do not have a leg?" I thoughts so... Not to mention, for who you going to give this: For someone who does not have a leg? What a fun gift! put a wheelchair under the tree next.
There is a group of people, I think they work out of Roanoke College here locally, called "Just Like Me." They take toys and dolls and rework them to match children with disabilities. When the child opens the toy, the child with a prothesis has a doll with a prosthesis just the same. If a child is hearing impaired and has a hearing aid, so does the doll. It's a wonderful program.
Cool I wonder if they make ones for kids in wheelchairs too? This is so awesome. They should have a range of little girls who look different, with prosthetics. This is so inclusive!
I can see these being customizable at the factory to reflect the child's amputation. I love the Olympic medal.
Being accepted and recognized is a powerful emotion and state of being!
I feel that there should be more dolls made like this for all the kids out there very nice idea ;=]]\
Yes!! There need to be more things like this for disabled children,so they can have toys,books,kids' movies,that make them feel included,that they can relate to and see themselves in!
I think of how far simple little things like this can go to make children more inclusive and accepting of one another. Having toys that represent you can really bolster self image. I was really taken with the vitiligo doll I read about recently, and that led me to the man who makes dolls that look just like the kid, no matter what the differences are. Very encouraging.
They also have hearing aides and wheelchairs for these dolls. Really Inclusive!
This is the Walmart version (less expensive) of the American Girl doll. They also have the wheelchair and other accessories to go with your little handicapped warrior! ☺️
It's about time kids with disabilities should have something to relate to- saw a little boy in a store with a prosthetic arm he was looking at GI Joes and said to his mom nobody look like me and they are just toys! Broke my heart!
This is so heartwarming! This should have been a thing a long time ago!!
If I had a child who loved dolls I'd so buy them one of these!! Reminds me of the dolls my mom got my sis and me when we were little. Mind you this was around 1990.... She got us dolls that were anatomically correct. Mine was a boy named Charlie. She wanted to teach us the correct way about anatomy from the beginning. She was a high school special ed teacher(my dad was a police chief) and both my parents were first responders/EMTs. I actually kept the doll for 30 years in almost perfect condition!!!
My Luke Skywalker amputee doll came out more than 40 years ago. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FStar-Wars-Return-6-Inch-Skywalker%2Fdp%2FB01HOAZAD0&psig=AOvVaw3j92LTatRwgM3oF9HagLs5&ust=1647359514251000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCKDVjsf6xfYCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE
The reactions to this doll make me really happy as I can remember a time when Barbie had a friend who was in a wheelchair (I think her name was Becky) and people just called it "depressing". I think dolls don't necessarily have to always reflect reality (I played with She-Ra dolls, and wasn't bothered by the fact that I didn't have a flying horse or super strength), but it's also wonderful that children can see themselves and their stories in their playthings.
I can already see some Karen in a retail store frantically shoving this into some poor employees face and while almost choking on her own spit yelling something like "WHAT IS THIS MONSTROSITY??? MY GIRL DOESN'T NEED TO PLAY WITH ONE OF THEM!"
I don’t know why you are getting downvoted, your are right. Maybe people are just racist
Load More Replies...Real kids have prosthetics. A doll with a prosthetic is inclusive and normalizes that reality. That's so very, very important both for kids with and without prosthetics.
Load More Replies...They're not, considering there are children amputees. Why can't they have dolls that represent them?
Load More Replies..."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
Note: this post originally had 132 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
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.