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82 Brilliantly Practical Product Designs That Prove Someone Out There Is Truly Working For Us All
There are two types of problems. The ones that you know exist and make your daily life miserable. And those that you aren’t even aware of, though they make your life worse. Luckily, ingenious designers are working hard (and smart!) to solve both—and Bored Panda is here to celebrate their success.
Our team is featuring the most creative, consumer-friendly, and brilliant design ideas that solve everyday problems and make your life better. Check out our favorite designs below. Just keep in mind, there’s no going back: you might start seeing daily nuisances that are begging for solutions everywhere now!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My Oven Shows The Start Time Incase You Did Not Start A Timer
RELATED:
#2
This Chair In An Office Cafeteria Has A Notch To Hang Bags
#3
Free Vegetable Leaves For Pets In My Local Supermarket's Produce Section
Design should make your life better, easier, and more convenient. Or is that just us?
Genuine empathy cannot and should not be taken out of the equation when you’re brainstorming possible designs, running focus groups and tests, and testing the appeal of your product, space, service, or idea.
You are, after all, designing these things for someone to use them. So, you should find a way to introduce empathy in every step of the design process.
#4
They Put Rails Under The Benches In This Park So You Can Always Be In The Shadow
#5
This Sturdy Runner Allows People Using Wheelchairs Or Walkers To Access Our Local Beach
#6
This Gate That Allows Horses But Not Vehicles
Janissary35680 1 hour ago
Good ol' boys in a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am say "Hold my beer!"
As a designer, you hold a huge advantage if you’re able to empathize and have the ability to put yourself in users’ and consumers’ shoes. You need to consider their wants and needs and understand their experiences and daily frustrations. And that requires periodically setting your ego aside so that you see the broader range of perspectives and implications.
That being said, you also need to counterweigh consumer-friendly ideas with your personal vision and skills. As a professional, you bring unique features and aesthetics to a product that you can’t achieve just by doing what the wisdom of the crowd tells you to.
#7
Beijing Subway Allows Riders To Pay With Plastic Bottles, A Good Way To Re-Cycle Them
#8
This Apartment Complex Pool With Wheelchair Access!
#9
This Museum In Berlin Has ‘Touchable’ Versions Of Their Paintings For Blind People
As a designer, you’re constantly balancing your vision with consumers’ needs, function and form, and the profitability of your ideas against how accessible they are to the public.
It’s tough, and not every professional gets it right. But those who manage to find the right balance between these opposites tend to stand out with their designs and body of work.
#10
My New Sheets Have Tags Identifying The Long Side And The Short Side
#11
The Hospital My Wife Delivered At Gives You A Kit So You Can Have A “Birth Day” Party
#12
Brilliant Idea If You Do/Don’t Want To Be Bothered While Shopping
“Empathizing with the people you design for is almost always the first step in design frameworks because it helps you put aside your assumptions and gain insight into what people do, think, and feel. This is why many brands follow those frameworks and start their design process by conducting research and synthesizing key learnings about customers,” Forrester explains.
#13
The Guy Who Does The Grass For My Building Left A Rectangle Of Wild Flowers So The Bees Can Use Them
#14
This Keypad Randomizes The Numbers Every Time So Someone Doesn't Figure Out The Password From Your Hand Movements
#15
I Found A Wallet On A Saturday, I Left A Note In A Way So Only The Real Owner Could Contact Me
However, empathy tends to be forgotten in later stages of the design process because of the fast pace of work, a lack of alignment between teams, and differing views on empathy itself.
The latter is sometimes seen as a single step, not as part of the entire process. So it doesn’t always make it into the final product.
#16
This Park Has A Swing For Kids In A Wheelchair
Janissary35680 1 hour ago
Thoughtful but I can see that "Only" rule being broken really, really fast and often.
#17
My School's Library Has Noise-Level Guides That Change Colour When It Gets Too Loud
#18
In Tallinn Airport, One Of The Mens Bathrooms Has Step By Step Instructions On Tying A Tie
“Many teams empathize with customers, but they don’t design for empathy,” Forrester stresses.
The idea is to view empathy not just as a means to an end (meeting customers’ needs) but also as an end in itself.
“Designing for empathy means designing experiences that not only meet customers’ needs but also show that you are emotionally connected to them and understand their experiences. It creates meaningful moments for your customers, builds brand loyalty, and humanizes the experience by demonstrating that a brand understands its customers’ needs, emotions, and that their relationship is not merely transactional.”
#19
Any Love For Packaging Here? Very Thoughtful Hardware Package Design
#20
My Daughter's First Grade Classroom Has Desks With Pedals So Kids Can Move While Learning
#21
Parking Lines Go Up The Wall So You Can Properly Park Your Car
So, let’s assume that you’ve got a great team of talented and smart designers, and you’re already thinking about how to put your target clients’, customers’, and consumers’ needs first. How do you actually set yourself apart from other companies making similar products and offering similar services?
You can focus on your brand identity. This helps you differentiate yourself from the consumer’s perspective by communicating your value and purpose.
#22
Refillable Detergent In Prague, Czech
Janissary35680 1 hour ago
Migros, Turkey's biggest food retailer, has similar stations in its larger-format stores.
In short, effective brand marketing helps you create a memorable and positive image in the target audience’s mind. And loyal, returning customers who are genuinely happy with what you offer are wonderful for business. It’s a ‘win-win’ for everyone. But this goes beyond sketching a good logo for your company and drafting a catchy slogan.
“This [brand marketing] involves consistent messaging, design, and promotion strategies tailored to the desired identity,” Investopedia emphasizes.
And for that, you need extensive research before you launch your product, a clear target market, and a holistic design philosophy that keeps your identity clear at all times.
#25
Lightswitches That Show What They Are For
#26
The Employees At This Venue Have The Location Of The Restroom On Their Shirts
#27
For Those Times You Reeeealy Want Your Binding To Come Out Even. :)
What are some small but annoying problems that you keep stumbling across that you wish could be solved?
What cool and creative design ideas have you seen in your local area that solve everyday issues?
We want to hear your perspective! Scroll down to the bottom of this list to join the conversation in the comments.
#28
This Store Has A Winter Simulator For Testing Out Winter Clothing
Elladine DesIsles 5 hours ago
I've been in one of these, they are common (maybe standard, IDK) at Mark's (formerly Mark's Work Warehouse, before they diversified beyond strictly outdoor workwear) locations, like the one pictured. We Canadians know how to do winter.
#29
This Car Won't Let Me Listen To Music Unless I Put My Seatbelt On
#30
An Old TV Repurposed Into A Cat Bed For My Cat’s Birthday
#31
At The Uffizi Gallery In Florence, They Have Versions Of Paintings So That Blind Visitors Can Still Enjoy The Art
Raq Winchester 6 hours ago
If you can make it through the throngs of people to the front where the 3d painting is
#32
This Parking Garages Floor Names To Help You Remember Where You Parked
#33
My Shower Has A Flip Down Footrest For Leg Shaving
#34
In Japan, Baggage Scales Are Flat On The Ground, So You Don't Have To Lift Your Heavy Suitcases
#35
Construction Company Covering Neighboring Cars To Keep Them Dust Free
#36
This Tie Is Made With A Microfiber Lining So You Can Clean Your Phone Screen
#37
These Public Swing Powered Chargers For Your Phone In A Train Station
Janissary35680 1 hour ago
"Dad, I'm tired and bored." "Keep swinging. We're only up to 50% and it's a long trip."
#38
The Cafe At My Closest Beach Gives Free Drinks To People Who Collect A Bucket Of Litter From The Beach
#39
What Took So Long? Breville Has A Hole In The Plug On Their Appliance Cords Making Them Easier To Pull Out
#40
The Beaches Here In The Netherlands Have Free Sunscreen Dispensers
#41
Medicine Section At My Local Rite Aid Has A Magnifying Glass To Help Visually Impaired People Read The Labels
Ace 2 hours ago
I don't consider myself 'visually impaired', I don't even wear glasses, but in recent years have found myself often having to reach for my phone to magnify the writing on the shelf label in supermarkets, so I think this is a great idea. (Yes, I do have a couple of pairs of reading glasses, round about +1.5, for close-up work at home, but don't carry them around with me).
#42
This House Put A Free Feed Dispenser On The Fence So People Walking By Can Give Their Alpacas A Treat
#44
This Elevator Has Buttons You Can Press With Your Feet If Your Hands Are Full
#45
In Norway You Get A Small Amount Of Money For Recycling Bottles/Cans. They're Often Collected By Poor People, Homeless Etc. A Lot Of Our Trash Cans Has These Holders Around Them So People Don't Have To Search Through The Trash To Collect Them
#46
These Public Benches Are Reversible, So You Can Choose To Look At People, Or Boats
#47
Doctors Paint The Mri Machine In The Children's Clinic To Look Like A Submarine
#48
A Very Interactive Cpr Training Kiosk At The Airport
#49
Their There They're
#51
The Construction Guy Near My House As A Solar Powered Fan Helmet To Stay Cool
#52
This Clothes Dryer Has A Plug Holder For The Powrr Cord So It Doesnt' Flail Around While Trying To Move It
Geoffrey Scott 3 minutes ago
Handy, but I just look the cord into the dryer and shut the door.
#54
My Son's Homework Has A Barcode That When Scanned Takes Him To An Instructional Youtube Video Posted By His Teacher Related To The Lesson
SaveIt 4 hours ago (edited)
Every resource helps the ones who are both able to take advantage and are willing to put in the extra effort. Like every educational resource, it might serve some well, but not others. No single resource is good for everybody (learning style, level of content, previous understanding, etc.). This is good as one tool in the educational toolbox for teachers to offer.
#55
This Bikers Jacket Has Signal And Brake Lights
#56
Our Refrigerator Has Revolving Levels So You Can Reach Everything Easily
#57
Train Seats In Japan Facing Outwards So You Can See The Scenery
Happy Onion 1 hour ago
As someone with motion sickness issue this would destroy me. 🤢🤮 Hopefully they swivel so you could turn away.
#58
My University Sent Me A Wallet-Sized Diploma
For All Pedernity 1 hour ago
How is this useful? When do you need to show someone your diploma like this?
#60
Not Only Does It Keep Your Page; It Keeps Your Line
Balseraph 4 hours ago
It's cute, but very much solving a problem that doesn't exist. It takes a couple of seconds to familiarise myself with where I was when I open to a bookmark. If it's been long enough since I last read it that I can't do that quickly, knowing the exact line won't help and I'll likely have to turn back a few pages to reread anyway.
#61
My New Inhalers Have A Countdown (200 Uses Total) On Them So I Don't Have To Keep Track Of When They Need To Be Replaced (UK)
#62
An Inclined Driveway That Has Stairs
#63
This Cup Holder At My Workplace For When You're Carrying Too Much
#65
This Airplane Eye Patch Tells Flight Attendant Whether Passengers Will Eat Or Not
#66
This Staircase Has A Crevice To Roll Your Bike Up The Stairs
#67
A Black Towel In My Hotel Room For Make-Up So The White Ones Don’t Get Stained
#68
The Bathroom I Went To At A Restaurant Had Free Feminine Hygiene Products
#69
Atlanta Airport Bathroom Has Lights To Tell You Which Stalls Are Occupied
#70
My Movie Theater Has A Sign For End Credits
#71
This Toilet Paper Has A Smaller Roll Inside That You Can Take On The Go
#72
If You’re An Elderly Or Disabled, You Will Receive A Card That Enables You To Cross The Road With A Longer Countdown Time (Singapore)
#74
My Spatula Has A Little Stand So It Doesn’t Touch The Counter
#75
Sidewalks Lighting
#76
Game Of Thrones Doorstop
#77
In Seoul, The Gas Pumps Hang From The Roof
#78
Beach Has Baskets For People To Help Clean Up
#79
Coffee Mug That Prevents The Coffee From Dripping All The Way Down
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