Do you ever see something out of the ordinary that really ought to be part of the ordinary? Good ideas can show themselves in a multitude of ways, perhaps with a clever design or a different method than the usual.
You likely haven’t seen many of the things in this list out in the real world, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t awesome ideas.
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“L-shaped pool table.”
There’s nothing wrong with a classic game of pool, but a table with this design would definitely mix the game up.
“New vaccuum arrived plastic-free.”
Plastic is cheap, durable and reliable. It’s also a major polluter. It’s a challenge to replace plastic with less harmful materials, but some companies are already well on their way.
“This license plate with all B’s and 8’s.”
This is only a good idea if you want to get away with something. What police officer is going to be able to reliably remember the sequence of this plate?
“My Salt n Pepa shakers.”
If you’re looking to pay tribute to the ’90s with your salt and pepper shakers, I honestly couldn’t think of a better act to honor.
“One of our local libraries moved into an old Marsh Supermarket.”
Grocery stores have lots of shelves. Library books need lots of shelves. So if a grocery store moves, this isn’t a bad way to utilize the old space.
“My protein powder scoop is designed to sit on a lip just under the lid… so you don’t have to reach into the powder to grab it.”
There’s no frustration quite like reaching deep into a jar of mostly-empty protein powder to find the scoop. This solution fixes that.
“This ad for dance therapy I found while out on a date.”
I don’t know if this guy is for real, but I would be willing to take out some bitcoin for a lesson.
“My Uber driver rigged a covid barrier up with AC running to the back with these homemade air vents.”
If you want to minimize the risk of transmission in an enclosed space while still keeping everyone cool, this is the way.
“The public toilet I just used had free sanitary products on the wall.”
You see this in some public washrooms, and it really ought to be in all public washrooms.
“My new sandal has a built-in bottle opener.”
Sandals and drinks that require bottle openers go together like, well, sandals and summer. This is a really good idea.
“Noticed cardboard hangers instead of plastic hangers while working on my shift.”
Here’s another small example of how recycled paper products can fill the void left by plastic.
“My piano from 1885 has a hidden pop-out candle holder.”
I mean, we don’t really need candles in the 21st century, but this would double quite nicely as a drink holder.
“These bathrooms are labeled with sit and/or stand.”
Most places still have two washrooms, so if you want to re-label them in a non-gendered way, this is a great idea.
“Movie theater tells you if there’s a scene near the end of the movie.”
With so many movies throwing in random scenes towards the end, this sign is a no-brainer. Looks like you can walk out of Peter Rabbit 2 early if you want.
“This warning before entering a rollercoaster.”
It should be a no-brainer that rollercoasters have a way of separating riders from their personal effects, but this warning sign is still a good idea.
“We use hulk hands to move cacti at my work.”
I can think of no better pair of ‘gloves’ to use when doing something as specific and specialized as transporting cactus plants.
“This exit sign actually looks really neat.”
If you really, really want to convey the idea of ‘exit’ via pictograms, I can think of no better way.
“My hotel phone in Iceland has a special button that will wake you up if there are Northern Lights in the sky.”
Most hotel rooms don’t offer a view of the Northern Lights. But for those that do, this alarm is a cool feature to have.
“The guy who does the grass for my building left a rectangle of wild flowers so the bees can use them.”
We all know that bees are awesome. We also know that bees’ habitats are constantly shrinking. Here’s one small way that a gardener is helping.
“Tesla’s support van runs on gasoline.”
Before you see this as a gotcha moment against Tesla, it actually makes a lot of sense for their support vehicles to run on gasoline, which is more reliable and less finicky, and gas stations are much easier to find than charging stations.
“These tables at my college campus use solar panels as shade, which in turn provide power for the charging ports on the table.”
This is one of those beautifully simple ideas. The object that provides much-needed shade also provides much-needed power.
“This tree I found that has a metal crutch to support it.”
Sometimes humans need crutches to help them stay upright, so it stands to reason that trees might need the same help from time to time.
“My co-worker’s hoodie has headphones threaded through the drawstring.”
This is the kind of simple invention that would have been an absolute dream come true for me, back in the days before wireless earbuds. Plus, these are much harder to lose track of.
“Sand collected from various beaches we’ve travelled to.”
I really like this idea as a way to remember trips. Just don’t shake it up! You don’t want those layers getting combined.
“Parking lines go up the wall so you can properly park your car.”
For the cost of, like, five cents of paint, these lines provide a handy reference for anyone who’s pulling into one of these spots.
“This arthritis relief cream now comes with an easy open cap.”
Any medication for arthritis really ought to include features like this, because opening some caps is super tough if you’ve got arthritis.
“This box can be opened to see an actual beehive behind the glass with information on the social structure of a bee colony.”
I like the idea of random informative boxes being scattered around the neighborhood. I could probably watch a bee colony for hours.
“In Wroclaw, Poland each cathedral and even the rivers have a tactile model nearby for blind people to see them too.”
Simple things like this create a way for people who are visually impaired to comprehend and appreciate what different landmarks look like.
“My prescription mouthwash label includes its chemical structure.”
Not everyone knows how to read chemical structure charts, but for those who do, this is a fun little Easter egg.
“This sign warning of the danger of cliff edges.”
I can’t think of a better way to warn of the danger of falling off a cliff than including a graphic pictogram like this.
