50 Times People Had Awesome Design Ideas And They Got Executed Perfectly, As Shared On This Online Community (New Pics)
We are surrounded by items, buildings, and even software that was designed one way or another. It tends to stick out when something is so poorly considered that we have to stop and wonder “what were they thinking?” Fortunately, most of the things around us conform to our expectations. A table is a table and a street sign is a street sign.
However, every once and a while, creative people make a novel take on a conventional object. So scroll down and enjoy this list of innovative and cool ideas people have made into reality. And if this article doesn’t scratch your awesome design itch, check out Bored Panda’s other collections here, here, and here. And if you want something a bit different, check out our list of terrible designs here.
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Shark Culling Laws Poster
Park Bench With Built In Shelter For The Homeless
Convenient Simple Storage
If this list leaves you particularly inspired, maybe to make some changes around your own home, it can be helpful to approach an area holistically. Or, to put it another way, to have a comprehensive, unified plan. Keeping to the design tenants of a specific style can really help bring a space together and make it look more cohesive. Let’s take a look at Scandinavian design as an example.
First and foremost, think about local, natural materials. We associate Scandinavian furniture and houses with wood, no doubt harvested in some primeval pine forests. But the core idea is to use local materials to establish a sense of place and style. This extends to building techniques as well, as most traditional architecture is firstly functional. French doors do not help insulate a house while thatched roofs are probably too warm for southern climates.
The ~spooky Forest~ Chandelier
Child Safety Awareness Ad
The Jacket I Just Got Has Tiny Skulls As The Zipper
Scandinavian design also prioritizes functionality, which is often, subtly, emphasized by the use of neutral colors. Small wonder that the creators of Lego would approach furniture with an eye for practicality. Sometimes this does express itself as a sort of minimalism as one might see in an Ikea catalog. But there are myriad examples of more decorative or flashy items made by acclaimed Scandinavian designers that are also in keeping with the style's core tenants.
Paint Sample Cubes, Instead Of Flat Swatches, So You Can See The Colors With Shadows
Nicely Done, Barilla
"Wear A Seatbelt" Ad
Design has also changed over the last century, with new styles coming and going. For example, the iconic Empire State building still stands out today as an Art Deco skyscraper among a forest of glass buildings. This style itself was a reaction to Art Nouveau which had been so popular at the turn of the century. While less ornate, Art Deco tended to use expensive materials like gold, and furniture in the style would feature exotic leathers like sharkskin.
Drunk Driving Ad By Hyundai
Oak Wood Imperial Staircase In Castel Savoia
Shark Fin "Wet Floor" Caution Sign
Modern design principles are less constrained by form and materials, so the guiding philosophy focuses more on the user. Sometimes this is referred to as literally user-centric design, though some will also call it human-scale design. The core idea is to make everything intuitive at a glance, even if you have never seen an object before. Maybe you are familiar with the design principles of Don Norman or at least the Norman door. Imagine a door with no handle, just a metal plate. Naturally, since you know it’s a door, it must move to let a person pass through. So with no handle, your only option left is to push.
This IKEA Ad
Any Love For Packaging Here? Very Thoughtful Hardware Package Design
I used to work in a home for the developmentally disabled. They went to "work" on weekdays, to a rehab type program that taught life skills. Some of the more intelligent clients had actual jobs, where they packed hardware for appliances and furniture. They each had a paper with life-size drawings of each item. The client would cover each picture with the matching part (like a toddler's jigsaw puzzle). Once each picture had its part, the client bagged the pieces.
Ad For Superman Movie
Anti-Pollution Sign By A Lake In Evergreen, Colorado
Book Benches, Bulgaria
It would be the best if they had readable poems or extracts from books to tempt you to read the entire books.
This Teacher's Wall Art
Was Told This Would Be Appreciated Here. Sooo Here Ya Go!
"Piece By Piece Alzheimer's Takes Away The Memory". Campaign For Alzheimer Forschung Initiative
Colorful Glass Canopy In Sonoma, California. By: Olafur Eliasson And Architect Sebastian Behmann
Door Handles On A Theatre
Newly Constructed 'Danish Prison Cells' Are Designed Better Than My Apartment
Forget Abs Of Steel And Buns Of Steel. Get Abs Of Buns
This Bar Has A Chilled Strip To Keep Your Drink Cold
Of course you just know some idiot is going to get their tongue stuck to it after a particularly ill-advised bar bet.
Translation: (Their) Love Slipped A Little Bit? No, This Is Violence (Anti Domestic Violence Poster)
Clever Little Airline Logo From A Recent Flight
My Vacuum Cleaner Filter Displays Taps When It's Wet After Cleaning, So You Know When It's Fully Dry
A Bar Of Soap That Gets Sad As It Approaches Its Demise
So the more you use the soap, the sadder it gets? Not sure if that's particularly great design, might discourage people from using it.
This Ice Cream Poster
Solution/Pollution French Sign
This Barcode That Looks Like A Waterfall
Samsung’s Galaxy Flip Phone Advertisement At A Bus Stop In Belgium
Honest question for people in countries where English isn't the primary language: Do you get annoyed at all the English in advertisements in your country? As an English-speaker, I've appreciated the ubiquity of the language when I've traveled, but I'm wondering if it's irritating for the people who live there. (Where I live in California, all the ads are in English or Spanish; I don't mind the Spanish because it helps me practice my very basic language skills.)
Very Clever Logo With A Double Message
Unusual Paint Brush Packaging
Jeep's European Marketing
The Logo For A Band Called The Makepeace Brothers. I Always Thought It Was So Clever
The letters are supposed to also be a hand giving a peace sign. Took me ages to see it.
These Room Numbers In My Hotel
Cd Package Design For Chinese Folk Rock Band 五条人
IKEA Advertisement
They can laugh with themselves, or is it the customers they are making fun of? 🤣
Less Talking, More Listening
House Of The Dragon Street Promotion
Business Card & Cockroach Trap
Sink Drain Design At The Minneapolis Airport
Logo For Lune Croissanterie - A Pâtisserie Specialising In Croissants
"croissant" stands for "lune croissante" in French, meaning waxing moon (because of the form). So the name of the shop is quite nice too. And then the moon rocket... Some visual jokes translate badly ;-) Just like English word plays (sound plays?) with K9 (canine, dog) or French ones with K7 (cassette).
This Bike Rack Shaped Like A Bike
Great fun aesthetic, but does halve the number of bikes that this space could accommodate. Cool design, NOT Good design imho!
Question - from one who hasn't even tried to ride a bike in half a century: how many bikes can this shape of bike rack actually acommodate? Asking for a mere acquaintance...
Load More Replies...There is one of those near my pharmacy shaped like a Penny-Farthing bicycle.
Substation, Detail Of Cornice, Hans Heinrich Müller
Minimal Clock Design
Deadpool Knife Caddy
KV Bjørnøya, The Newest Vessel Being Built For The Norwegian Coast Guard
I love ‘em all! They’re smart and very satisfying. It’s also a good balancer for all the ‘bad design’ posts. XD
Hey, they've got to get it right *sometimes*, don't they??
Load More Replies...Seriously! This list feels like classic BP content, before they decide to become an upvote system.
Load More Replies...Thank you all..my MIL passed away earlier this year,it's so heartbreaking to watch someone so strong become so confused and scared .It's heartbreaking to see so many people here dealing with or having dealt with loved ones with this horrible disease,I wish I could give you all a big hug,I really feel your pain
I'm so sorry for your loss :(!! You can have a big hug from me!
Load More Replies...The clients are paid. The people who think this is exploitive ought to see the pride on our clients' faces while they're working. They have precious little that they feel true pride over, but a job well done is one of those things. None of them are forced to work, and most aren't capable. We're talking about people with the average IQ of 50. None of them have the mental capacity of a teenager, much less than an adult. They may not be very good at thinking, but they have the same feelings, the same needs as the rest of us.
My supermarket used to hire a young man with Down's to work as a bagger. He did a great job . He took pride in his work, and people would get in his line just to say hi.
Load More Replies...Does anyone else see the posts that have been downvoted into oblivion? What's that all about?
I love ‘em all! They’re smart and very satisfying. It’s also a good balancer for all the ‘bad design’ posts. XD
Hey, they've got to get it right *sometimes*, don't they??
Load More Replies...Seriously! This list feels like classic BP content, before they decide to become an upvote system.
Load More Replies...Thank you all..my MIL passed away earlier this year,it's so heartbreaking to watch someone so strong become so confused and scared .It's heartbreaking to see so many people here dealing with or having dealt with loved ones with this horrible disease,I wish I could give you all a big hug,I really feel your pain
I'm so sorry for your loss :(!! You can have a big hug from me!
Load More Replies...The clients are paid. The people who think this is exploitive ought to see the pride on our clients' faces while they're working. They have precious little that they feel true pride over, but a job well done is one of those things. None of them are forced to work, and most aren't capable. We're talking about people with the average IQ of 50. None of them have the mental capacity of a teenager, much less than an adult. They may not be very good at thinking, but they have the same feelings, the same needs as the rest of us.
My supermarket used to hire a young man with Down's to work as a bagger. He did a great job . He took pride in his work, and people would get in his line just to say hi.
Load More Replies...Does anyone else see the posts that have been downvoted into oblivion? What's that all about?