You ever find a design that just clicks? Maybe it has some kind of feature that makes it so much more useful than before. Or maybe it’s clever in a way you never would’ve thought of in a million years.
Whatever it is, it makes that design a work of pure genius. And that’s exactly what the designs in this list are. Genius !
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“CVS has magnifying glasses throughout the medicine aisle so you can read what the medicine packaging says.”
Little things like this are what make the world go ’round. Because you just know that some people out there tend to forget their glasses when they go out shopping (or maybe they never realized they needed a pair).
This soup logo that’s made out of the letters in soup.
The S is the steam, the O and U make up the bowl, and the P is a spoon. It all makes perfect sense. This is one design that just works, and it does so in the most amazing way possible.
“Wegmans has a ‘No Candy’ lane, so parents don’t have to drag their kids past a wall of sugar if they don’t want to.”
Okay, this is actually pretty clever. Not only will parents not have to ward off their kids’ pleas for candy, but they can keep themselves away from the temptation, too. It’ll really help you rethink if you actually want that extra candy bar.
“I thought it was clever how they incorporated the carrier hole into the can.”
That’s actually so cool! Another super subtle design feature that makes you feel smart just by looking at it. All boxes of beer cans should look like this one from now on.
“Custard box tells you how to get the last bit of custard, so you don’t waste any.”
I didn’t know there was a proper way to get every drop out of a container. This should be on more containers. Or maybe they’ve always existed, and it’s just taken me this long to realize that they’re there.
“These upside down charger sockets on a train table that prevent cable damage!”
I never understood why outlets weren’t always designed like this. Putting them upside down means that the cable has room to be free and not squished, which means it wont break when you least expect it. Seems like this should be the norm.
“This mayo package includes instructions on how to recycle it.”
There are a lot of recyclable containers that have parts on them that actually can’t be recycled (like bottle lids). But I feel like people don’t actually know this. So these kinds of instructions being printed right on the label might help someone out (at least, the people who read the labels).
“The Kleenex boxes at my work have different color tissues near the end to let you know you only have a few left in the box.”
Did you know about this? Because I didn’t. But I’m glad I know now, because it’s awesome. All you need to do is pay a little bit of attention, and you can know when to whip the new Kleenex box out without running out of tissue!
Apparently iOS asks you if you want to change your alarm for holidays, now.
They’re called smartphones for a reason. Seriously, though, features like this are so useful. We all deserve to get a few extra hours of sleep on our days off, after all.
This mug that serves as its own coaster/teacup.
Now that’s one ingenious mug! Hopefully it’s sturdy enough to hold its own weight when it’s full of liquid. Other than that, though, it’s basically perfect. I would like to own at least four of them now.
“The benches at my local library are books.”
This is insanely clever. Chances are, people will sit on those benches to read. They’re in front of a library, after all. So for them to look like books? Way to stick to the theme, and do it in style.
“This ‘waste-reducing’ hotel soap bar that’s ‘designed to eliminate the unused center of traditional soap bars.'”
This… actually makes so much sense. Even if it does look a little strange. But think about it; when you use up a soap bar enough, all that’s left is a tiny little nub that no one ever uses. This would stop that. Crazy!
“Saw a coffin truck with a plate that said “casket” on the way to the shop!”
It may not be the kind of delivery service you’d look forward to getting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate the way they took the opportunity here. Unless… that just so happens to be a coincidence? Nah, there’s no way.
“Restaurant toilets forces you to sanitise your hands on the way out.”
Evil genius or just pure evil? Take your pick. Either way, though, this restaurant wins because it forces even the most egregiously dirty hands to stay clean. If you’re at a restaurant, you should be washing your hands anyhow.
“My workplace has a Keurig vending machine.”
Wait… everything about this kind of rocks. I really wish I knew more about how it works, though. Is it all tied to the vending machine? Is the Keurig operated differently? This is so incredibly fascinating, I don’t think I’ll be able to think about anything else today.
“This pickle jar has a built in plastic basket with a stem so you can pull the pickles up to the top.”
I’ve never seen a thing like this before, but it’s actually incredible. I mean, a fork can also work, but once you put that fork in your mouth, the jar is kind of yours now. At least this way anyone can enjoy a pickle or two.
“The streets lights in Hershey are Hershey’s Kisses.”
Of course Hershey, the home of the Hershey’s headquarters, would probably have a lot of chocolate references in it. And since chocolate Kisses are kind of lamp shaped, it makes sense to use them as street lights. How cute!
“This website lets you jump straight to the recipe if you don’t want to read through the author’s entire life story before getting there.”
I like a good blog post jest as much as the next person, but sometimes you just need to get straight to the recipe. I bet this would be really helpful if you read it all before and don’t want to scroll a whole bunch.
“These candles that came in a box have a small hole at the top so you can smell the candle without opening the box.”
These ones tick a lot of boxes. They have a cute design. They allow you to smell the candles without opening the boxes. Did I mention they’re cute? Seriously, who comes up with these?
“The IKEA office chair I just bought has a housing for the Allen key.”
I think IKEA should just assume that we all have drawers full of Allen keys that have come with their furniture over the years. But this is a good alternative to them not giving us one at all. This way, it’s close by if you need to tighten a screw.
“This fan has strings that tell you what they do.”
Trying to work a ceiling fan the right way the first time is kind of like trying to plug a USB cable in the right way the first time: you always mess it up somehow.
At least with this one, you know what’s what. If you still mess it up, well. That’s on you.
“My bracelet came with a paper clip to help fasten the clasp.”
You don’t always have a buddy to help put your bracelets on, and doing it yourself is such a pain. This is the kind of thing we need to come with every bracelet.
Or, like, just have paperclips around the house.
“The roof at my local library is a book.”
If you thought that book-shaped benches were cool, check out an entire library that looks like one giant book! This is probably the greatest design I’ve ever seen in my life. At the very least, it’s in, like, the top ten.
“IKEA has free diaper dispensers in bathrooms.”
I feel like IKEA’s whole existence is super family friendly.
From the fact that they have a drop off area for kids to play in while you shop, to their full-out kids’ furniture section, to little things like diaper dispensers, it’s one place you can actually bring your kid and not have to worry about the little things.
“This claw machine at a restaurant kids play area gives you your money back if you don’t receive an item.”
I wonder if that means this claw machine is a bit easier to use than most. Because, uh, they’d be giving a lot of refund if it’s anything like literally every other claw machine in existence. Still, nice to know some people care.
“This post office has a helpful size guide if you want to buy a box.”
Yeah, I don’t know about you, but I can’t really gauge a size of a box based on dimensions alone. So a diagram would be super helpful. It’s definitely one of those things you’d probably overlook until it’s time to actually use it.
“This carpet pattern at the Minneapolis Convention Center looks designed to make setting up chairs go faster and easier.”
I can’t tell if the design of this carpet was intentional, or if it was a happy coincidence. Either way, it’s kind of a genius move. You’ll never have crooked chairs again (unless the person putting the room together is really bad at their job).
“My job’s stairwell has the last step before a platform a different color to make sure you don’t trip and fall.”
I feel like this kind of thinking could potentially save lives. Or at the very least, keep people from tripping and getting hurt. Stairs can be difficult, especially the ones that are painted in a way that makes each step blend into the next.
“Found on a coaster at a local bar.”
I like the fact that the logo both represents the name and the service. Because the pipes make distinct J shapes. Like the name. Yeah, you probably get it. I just love how different logo designs can work so well like this.
“I like that the B and the V both make half a flower. This is a landscaping company.”
Like the plumbing logo from before, this logo really makes use of the company’s name to create an image that relates to the service. This time, it’s trees. Because landscaping. Seriously, what a genius-level move!
