20 Great Design Ideas That Deserve Some Kind Of Award

Ashley Hunte
A coke bottle design on a drink cup, that looks like it's full of coke.
reddit | chris102099

There are few feelings in the world that compare to seeing a really cool design idea. Like, there's something about finding one that's both satisfying and exciting.

The designs in this list definitely scratch that itch. I mean, just look at them! They're so much cooler than anything I could ever think of. Which, of course, makes them all the more impressive.

"Net designed to keep the Strom [sic]water drain clean from plastic and other waste."

An open storm drain in concrete. Over top of the hole, a mesh net sits.
reddit | easybutnotpeasy

On one hand, it's pretty sad that it has to come to this. But on the other hand, just think about how handy this could be! You wouldn't have to worry about accidentally losing something down the sewers.

"Heart-shaped pair of ribeyes for Valentine’s Day."

A plastic package with a ribeye steak in it. The steak and the plastic are both shaped like a heart.
Reddit

This is honestly such a cute idea. It would make for a really special date night, or even a fun night alone when you just really want to have steak that also happens to be shaped like a heart.

"Icepack from an ugly vegetable delivery box is plant food."

An icepack that also doubles as plant food when no longer in use.
Reddit | crraggle

To clarify, OP meant that the vegetables they send are the "ugly" or undesirable ones stores usually just get rid of. Which honestly makes this idea so much better; everything about it fights to reduce waste!

"This vending machine only sells cheese to make fondue or raclette."

A vending machine filled with different kinds of packaged cheese.
reddit | Rebbzooor

I'm a pretty simple person. I see a vending machine filled with something unconventional, and I can't help but be obsessed with it.

Like, this one has cheese? Cheese? Amazing.

"Exit signs near the floor in case of fire!"

An exit in a public place, with exit signs along the ceiling and floor.
Reddit | Seashoreshellseller

I can't believe I've gone my entire life without seeing something like this before! They always teach us to stop, drop, and roll in case of a fire, but never how to find the exit while you're crawling around.

"This LED clock."

An LED clock made out of four pieces, each built so that they can have any number on them.
Reddit | deshosign

I have to admit, this clock is pretty awesome. It's minimalist, but you can still actually read it, which is what's most important. I kind of wish I had one of my own, now.

"These minimal playing cards."

Black playing cards with minimalist versions of the suits in the corner.
Reddit | nightinggirlse

Is it just me, or are these cards giving off some serious Squid Game vibes? Probably all the minimalism and the super simple shapes. Either way, I'd totally play a game with these cards (but I'd be reading the rules real carefully beforehand).

"Thor's Hammer Toolbox."

Several images of a toolbox that also happens to be shaped like the hammer Thor wields.
Reddit | Panda_911

Sure, Thor's hammer may not be the most convenient tool to use, but it sure does make a great shape for a toolbox! I don't use a lot of tools, but I would if my toolbox looked like this one.

The way everything makes so much sense in this business card.

A business card that has the owner's name, website, Instagram handle, and email address in a single line.
Reddit | [deleted]

This is honestly the cleverest way to format a business card. Not only does it tell you everything you need in a single line, but it's so pleasing to look at. Love this!!

"The charger that sits flat on my belly so that I don’t bend and break it."

An older iPhone with a charger plugged in. The charging cable has a hard plastic bit that directs the cable sideways to prevent stress at the joint.
Reddit | Panda_911

I actually used to own a pair of wired earbuds that had a cable like this. I seriously don't get why more chargers aren't built like this.

Maybe because the make more money if you have to keep replacing yours...

A mug that's made to look like cardboard.

Everything about this is so cool! I'm honestly having a hard time telling whether it's actual cardboard, or just very cleverly dressed ceramic. Either way, I love it.

"This Argentinian empanadilla shop has the contents of the empanadilla written so you don't get confused."

Several pastries lined up in a display, each with a different shape and label.
Reddit | Elsuertudo27

Yes, this is in Spanish (it's Argentina, after all), but I feel like this kind of concept could be used on all sorts of other food items. Just to make sure people don't get confused and stuff.

"Slack tells you what time it is for the other person, in case you might be texting them outside of working hours."

A screenshot from a Slack conversation that shows the timezone for the person who received the message.
Reddit | NeglectedMonkey

That's pretty clever right there. To be honest, it feels like Slack has a lot of really cool, subtle design details that help make the application a lot more user friendly.

"They have different photos of different size models wearing it. Granted, the bigger models are also taller, thereby looking thinner than most people that size. But still. Not bad."

A dropdown in the Under Armour website that allows you to see a clothing item on models of different sizes.
Reddit | Songs4Soulsma

I think most of us can agree that clothes will look different on us than on the size XS models, so being able to see a different size could make such a huge difference! What a nice little detail.

Deciem letting people know it's about to change its pricing, and letting people buy before the change.

A notification from the company deciem, telling its customers that they're raising their prices as of February first, thus giving people 2 weeks to buy things before the price change.
Reddit | Daebak49

That's pretty awesome. A lot of places would just raise their prices without telling anyone. This kind of idea is just a nice way of showing that you actually care about your customer base.

"Wonderful paintbrush packaging."

A paintbrush with black bristles. The packaging surrounding the brush resemble a man's face, with the bristles as his moustache.
Reddit | heribertohobby

This is actually so clever. When you think about it, paintbrushes do kind of look like facial hair, so this isn't really all that far off!

"This frozen food bowl has the cooking instructions on the film."

A frozen meal with the box removed. The plastic film over the bowl contains the cooking instructions.
Reddit | Gimpster1899

It's amazing how something so simple can actually be so innovative. Like, let's be real, no one wants to have to keep the whole packaging around while you're cooking one of these things.

"This box of rice says exactly how much rice is in it rather than make people rely on weight."

The side of a box of rice. There is a line about halfway up, indicating how full it is.
Reddit | Rapid_falls263

I like this because it's not lying about how much of the box is actually air. Sure, we could complain about the excess space in general, but at least they're honest.

"The Coke bottle on this cup is transparent so the bottle empties as you drink."

A plastic cup with a translucent coke bottle design on it, making it look like a bottle full of pop.
Reddit | chris102099

That's both cute and clever! Sure, it may not have any sort of real function to it, but sometimes a design just has to be fun in order for it to be good.

"Decathlon attach their clothes labels to a little strip of extra fabric, so you can easily cut it off without leaving a scratchy little nub."

A person holding a black piece of fabric with a clothing tag attached to it, which is actually on an extra piece of fabric attached to a clothing item.
Reddit | Mish106

I hate clothing tags, but I hate those itchy nubs you get when you cut them off even more. But this? This is pure genius. Every clothing company needs to do this.