The future is coming at us fast, folks. But it’s not all about robots and hyperloops — it’s about small, incremental changes, little design tweaks, and almost unnoticeable innovations that make everything a bit better.
And good designs don’t stick out too much. If you blink, you might miss them. But not to worry, the pics are out there.
This looks kind of like a little thermometer, but it’s a gauge for how fresh a package of meat is.
When the meter hits zero, it’s probably best to just throw the meat away.
I never knew how much I needed a menu like this.
I love some noodles, but I don’t always know the difference between them all, so thanks to this restaurant for a subtle noodle guide.
Looks like a standard pizza rack, but this might be the future of ordering pizza for pick-up — order online, and when you get to the restaurant, just put in a confirmation code and grab your pie from the pizza portal, no human interaction required.
Doesn’t get much handier than that.
For anyone exploring an unfamiliar city, this would make life so much easier — a color coded subway system.
You don’t even have to be able to read the language to know your stop.
This cigarette disposal has a nice, understated design that sends a powerful message.
When you stub out a cigarette, you have to literally push the butt into a set of lungs.
It’s hard to tell at first, but these fire trucks aren’t quite what we’re used to seeing.
They don’t thunder into danger like the huge tankers we’re more familiar with — they’re made smaller to fit into narrow streets and alleyways.
This randomly placed tube has a fun function.
It’s a ping-pong table rolled up into a cylinder, which makes sense if you want to play outside and not lose the ball too often.
This vending machine comes with a cool twist — color coding for how healthy each selection is.
And a little friendly advice on how often you should be drinking each of them.
An everyday, normal wristwatch, with a pretty significant twist — it’s a 24-hour watch.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in analog form before. As a bonus, it’s pretty stylish, too.
Curved staircases are definitely a mark of elegance and class — but have you ever seen a curved escalator?
They can’t be common, and they’re probably not much different to ride than a normal escalator, but I still want to try it.
This bike stand has more features than just a rack to lock up your wheels.
It also has tools you can use if you need to make some adjustments or repairs while you’re on the go.
This tractor allows you to adjust the seat’s suspension based on your weight.
It might not be flattering, but still, it must feel pretty incredible for those who need it.
At a glance, this looks like a fidget spinner, but it’s actually a signal at a restaurant that allows you to alert your server.
Not sure how servers feel about this, but I know I’ve wished I had something like this while waiting to settle up.
I’m totally in favor of baking the label for the filling right into the empanada.
Really, this works for every little meat pastry — empanadas, pot pies, fatayar, talas kababi, xianbing, pasties, Jamaican patties, and so on.
Visitors at this hotel are greeted with a weather update on the mirrors next to the elevator.
Nice little innovation, but it does make you wonder if it’s a hotel without windows, doesn’t it?
This swimming pool’s accessibility ramp doesn’t even look out of place.
And what a world of difference it must make for anybody with mobility issues to be able to get in and out of the pool with ease.
This shower’s tap has a thermometer built right into it so you know how hot the water is.
Although I usually know how hot I want it to be without this, once you’ve figured out the exact temperature you like, it might be easier to dial in rather than fiddling with the knob.
This roll of toilet paper comes with an extra bit in the middle.
Less wasted space, plus you have a little extra bit that might find a home in your car or in your desk at work.
This light fixture expands and contracts so you can have more or less light as you like.
It’s like a dimmer switch that’s not a dimmer switch, and it looks cool either way.
We’ve all seen sporks before, but why shouldn’t we also have chopstick forks?
Having the fork right there to fall back on must make this the ultimate tool for learning to use chopsticks.
This is so overdue — a free public dispenser for sunscreen.
You see hand sanitizer everywhere now, so why not sunscreen when skin cancer rates are rising so fast across the country?
What handy way to get people to see your company info all the time.
I feel as though a USB is something a lot of us wish we had, but never have handy.
You gotta love someone who is always thinking of your shoes.
Whoever built these urinals is an angel and a genius. Now we know all the shoes that enter this bathroom are safe.
Sometimes when I really reflect on how much technology has changed since I was kid, it blows my mind.
But this is pretty amazing and a huge step forward, I’ve got to say. Now we can hook up our computers right to the TV.
Alright, well this guy must be from the future because this is some next-level stuff.
This shirt has an air conditioner in it! What? Why don’t all of my clothes feature this?!
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This scooter is made to be used with wheelchairs!
How exciting! Everyone deserves to fulfill their dreams of riding a scooter. I mean, they terrify me, but to each their own.
It’s about time that someone thought this up!
The end of picnic tables always had such underused potential. Well, not anymore! Now everyone is going to fighting over the head of the table.
I like that this airport took into consideration their furry travellers, too.
No one should have to hold it, and once you’re in an airport, you’re in an airport, you know?
This mobility lift goes right from the driveway of this building up to the third floor!
I think that it’s neat that this building is accessible no matter what floor you want to live on.
This looks like a normal little house, but nope, it’s not.
It’s actually housing equipment for a cable company. Always nice when they make an effort to blend into the neighborhood, amirite?
The clasp on this backpack’s straps have a great safety feature subtly built in — it doubles as a whistle.
You don’t have to be hiking in the back country to feel safer with a whistle on your backpack.
