30 Impressive Design Ideas That Have Us Jotting Down Notes

Not every idea is a good one. But the ones that are good are the ones we need to hold on to. A good idea isn't always easy to come by, after all.

This list is full of really cool design ideas that we honestly can't get enough of. It's amazing what people can come up with when they try.

"Christmas gift bags that encourage you to re-use them."

I actually really love this. The tags you get on gift bags are great, but they're kind of useless if you want to reuse the bags themselves. Sure, these ones don't have unlimited tags, but this is good start.

"I made a desk with built-in outlet and USB-c ports to power my laptop and screen."

It's one thing to go and buy a desk with built in ports, but a totally different thing to go out and make one. This is a really impressive design, and it's totally getting my creative juices flowing.

"My aunt propagated some succulents and turned them into a Christmas tree."

I never expected a Christmas tree made out of succulents to look so good! I guess it just goes to show you how far a little bit of creativity can get you.

"This soap pump I got at Disney world dispenses Mickey shaped soap."

Sure, it won't make your hands cleaner than a regular soap pump, but this is just really fun. It's one of those souvenirs that'll actually be useful for years to come.

"Eggo waffles finally added a way to reseal the open bag."

I'm not saying I've been waiting a long time for this, but I'm also not not saying this. I don't know why it took them so long to make the bags resealable, though.

"This basketball trash bin."

It looks like this trash can was made from an actual old basketball (and not just shaped like one). That's so cool, because it's actively reusing something old. Just another smart way to recycle.

"My dishwasher has a spot that fits chopsticks."

I wish every dishwasher had a spot like this. Washing chopsticks can be so hard because they're always moving around or falling through slats. More of this, please and thank you!

"This towel folded like a dog."

Whenever I look at things like this, it makes me want to get really creative. I've never seen a towel folded to look like a dog before. I wonder what other animals you could make.

"Kudos to Nabisco's new pop-open boxes, which actually let you fit your hand inside the cracker box for once."

This just goes to show you that a subtle design change can make a world of difference. I'm sure this would make it a bit easier to pour the crackers into a bowl, too.

"Kudos to the designer of this ruler. It has great grip and it focuses light perfectly to make a white line."

Honestly, this is kind of awesome. It would definitely make it a lot easier to see what you're doing when you're measuring stuff.

"Every brand should learn from Savlon and put braille on their products!"

I'm honestly so surprised that finding braille on product packaging is still so rare. You'd think at this point everyone would be doing it. I guess whoever isn't should be taking notes right about now.

"This toaster's cord has finger pull."

The real question here is: how isn't everyone already doing this!? It's way safer and easier than yanking the cord out of the wall, that's for sure.

Plus, the plug looks so much cooler!

"This jar-looking Ziploc."

Who needs actual jars when you can just have resealable bags that look like jars? No but seriously, this is pretty neat. Definitely the kind of bag you'd be using over and over again.

"This LensCrafters has a restroom sign with glasses on."

Sometimes, subtle little design details like this are the best. It may not be reinventing the wheel, but since the people using that restroom will most likely be glasses-wearers, why not give the people in the sign glasses?

"The border of this dog collar sizing chart."

Again, this design isn't going to change the world, but it's still such a cool and fun idea. A great way to incorporate different dog sizes into a design that directly deals with different dog sizes.

"This sign at the Gare du Nord in Paris, saying 'entrée' (entrance) on one side and 'sortie' (exit) on the other."

This is beyond cool! I wonder if you could do something like that in English, like with "enter" and "exit." Probably not those exact words, but I'm sure someone could figure something out.

"This book… stand?"

I don't know why, but I love this so much! It's like a book burger. A burger made of books. Do you think you could actually read one of them? Or is this thing more for show?

"This disposable fork/knife set that snaps apart."

I'm not sure if it would cut down on plastic, or if it's more convenient in any way. But you know what? This is still a really cool design. And sometimes, being cool is good enough.

"My sink has a light that changes depending on the temperature."

According to OP, this sink turns green, too. Sure, you could just run your hand under the faucet to tell how warm or cold the water is, but these lights make it so much cooler (and way less painful).

"This Gym's Membership Page."

This is such a cool visual representation of how this gym's membership passes work. It also kind of shows how someone could use their pass over the span of a month. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

"The 8 of diamonds has a giant 8 hidden inside it."

You know what? I've never noticed this before. But now that I've seen it, I can't unsee it. Who would've thought the eight of diamonds would have a design that's so satisfying to look at?

"I don't know about claims, but if it works seems good for groceries."

I'm not going to lie, I kind of like plastic bags. They're bad for the environment, of course, but they're so handy. If they were more like this, though, then we could use them without feeling so guilty.

This clever walnut packaging.

This may not be a life-changing design, but it's incredibly clever. Not to mention super cute. And it's clearly effective, because it's making me want to buy a whole bag of walnuts all of a sudden.

"The Ikea office chair I just bought has a housing for the Allen key."

The best part about this is the fact that you never really know when you're going to need to adjust (or fix) your chair, and this keeps the right tool for the job close by. Now, all you have to do is remember it's there...

"This pickle jar has a built in plastic basket with a stem so you can pull the pickles up to the top."

Now this is the kind of design every single pickle jar needs to adopt (assuming it's recyclable). This definitely beats using a fork, or trying to pick up a pickle with your fingers.

"The decorative flair at the bottom on Caesars toga are LC's for Little Caesars."

I can't believe I never noticed this until now... What an incredibly subtle yet clever things to put in the mascot design. I have to say, I'm a little speechless right now.

"This old school shower that tells you the water temperature."

Okay, but why aren't they making showers like this anymore? Or maybe they are, and I just haven't come across any yet. Either way, I need one of these in my bathroom ASAP.

"This accessible bathroom sign."

What a great way to add a bit more inclusion in a bathroom sign! Again, it's a pretty small thing, but sometimes it's the small things that end up making all the difference.

"This person’s rear lights were stormtroopers."

I wonder how you go about getting a custom rear light like that. Or... maybe the vehicle came like that. Judging by the incredibly strange window decal, though, I'm thinking it's custom.

"Staying in a 4 week old hotel and the pillowcases tell you what type of pillow is inside."

I like this because it saves you a bit of time. Instead of spending time trying all the pillows out, just look at the side and see which ones are soft and which ones are firm. Nice and easy!

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