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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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    #2

    Park Bench With Built In Shelter For The Homeless

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    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.

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    #6

    The Jacket I Just Got Has Tiny Skulls As The Zipper

    The Jacket I Just Got Has Tiny Skulls As The Zipper

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    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.

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    #7

    Paint Sample Cubes, Instead Of Flat Swatches, So You Can See The Colors With Shadows

    Paint Sample Cubes, Instead Of Flat Swatches, So You Can See The Colors With Shadows

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    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.

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    #12

    Shark Fin "Wet Floor" Caution Sign

    Shark Fin "Wet Floor" Caution Sign

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    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.

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    #14

    Any Love For Packaging Here? Very Thoughtful Hardware Package Design

    Any Love For Packaging Here? Very Thoughtful Hardware Package Design

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    Shyla Bouche
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #16

    Anti-Pollution Sign By A Lake In Evergreen, Colorado

    Anti-Pollution Sign By A Lake In Evergreen, Colorado

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    #17

    Book Benches, Bulgaria

    Book Benches, Bulgaria

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    Laugh or not
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It would be the best if they had readable poems or extracts from books to tempt you to read the entire books.

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    #19

    Was Told This Would Be Appreciated Here. Sooo Here Ya Go!

    Was Told This Would Be Appreciated Here. Sooo Here Ya Go!

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    #20

    "Piece By Piece Alzheimer's Takes Away The Memory". Campaign For Alzheimer Forschung Initiative

    "Piece By Piece Alzheimer's Takes Away The Memory". Campaign For Alzheimer Forschung Initiative

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    Ziggyc
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Watched my MIL suffer from this,it's a horrible disease,this poster really.speaks volumes

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    #21

    Colorful Glass Canopy In Sonoma, California. By: Olafur Eliasson And Architect Sebastian Behmann

    Colorful Glass Canopy In Sonoma, California. By: Olafur Eliasson And Architect Sebastian Behmann

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    #23

    Newly Constructed 'Danish Prison Cells' Are Designed Better Than My Apartment

    Newly Constructed 'Danish Prison Cells' Are Designed Better Than My Apartment

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    Seth
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You know you live in a prison state when accomodations that are beyond the means of a minimum wage laborer are considered a punishment elsewhere in the world.

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    #24

    Forget Abs Of Steel And Buns Of Steel. Get Abs Of Buns

    Forget Abs Of Steel And Buns Of Steel. Get Abs Of Buns

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    #25

    This Bar Has A Chilled Strip To Keep Your Drink Cold

    This Bar Has A Chilled Strip To Keep Your Drink Cold

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    Katie Lutesinger
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Of course you just know some idiot is going to get their tongue stuck to it after a particularly ill-advised bar bet.

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    #26

    Translation: (Their) Love Slipped A Little Bit? No, This Is Violence (Anti Domestic Violence Poster)

    Translation: (Their) Love Slipped A Little Bit? No, This Is Violence (Anti Domestic Violence Poster)

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    #27

    Clever Little Airline Logo From A Recent Flight

    Clever Little Airline Logo From A Recent Flight

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    #28

    My Vacuum Cleaner Filter Displays Taps When It's Wet After Cleaning, So You Know When It's Fully Dry

    My Vacuum Cleaner Filter Displays Taps When It's Wet After Cleaning, So You Know When It's Fully Dry

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    #29

    A Bar Of Soap That Gets Sad As It Approaches Its Demise

    A Bar Of Soap That Gets Sad As It Approaches Its Demise

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    Lurking Panda
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #33

    Samsung’s Galaxy Flip Phone Advertisement At A Bus Stop In Belgium

    Samsung’s Galaxy Flip Phone Advertisement At A Bus Stop In Belgium

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    Kim Fielding
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.)

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    #36

    Jeep's European Marketing

    Jeep's European Marketing

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    #37

    The Logo For A Band Called The Makepeace Brothers. I Always Thought It Was So Clever

    The Logo For A Band Called The Makepeace Brothers. I Always Thought It Was So Clever

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    Kristine Johnson
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The letters are supposed to also be a hand giving a peace sign. Took me ages to see it.

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    #39

    Cd Package Design For Chinese Folk Rock Band 五条人

    Cd Package Design For Chinese Folk Rock Band 五条人

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    #40

    IKEA Advertisement

    IKEA Advertisement

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    SabbeRubbish
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They can laugh with themselves, or is it the customers they are making fun of? 🤣

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    #42

    House Of The Dragon Street Promotion

    House Of The Dragon Street Promotion

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    #45

    Logo For Lune Croissanterie - A Pâtisserie Specialising In Croissants

    Logo For Lune Croissanterie - A Pâtisserie Specialising In Croissants

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    Frank
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "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).

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    #48

    Minimal Clock Design

    Minimal Clock Design

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    A P
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Which hand is the minute and which hand is the hour? This is a terrible design if you can't read the time!

    Alewa
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The thinner one shows usually the minutes. But I remember this exact clock being in a post about bad design...

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    AJJ
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is going to make me sound wacko, but I've always wondered if there is a recognized phobia of clock-ticking. I can't be around any clocks I can hear, I have this irrational worry that they'll send my heart beat into a wild arrhythmia and I'll die. I've only ever confessed this to my husband.

    Lucas
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Chronomentrophobia maybe? The tick tock sounds of a clock often cause irritation to a chronomentrophobe. They have increased sensitivity to such sounds. People with chronomentrophobia often feel their lives are controlled by clocks. Or it might come under misophonia. I very much dislike ticking - causes very disrupted sleep to have a ticking clock in the bedroom.

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    Bill Marsano
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a fussy, pretentious design. A truly minimal design consist entirely of 2 hands and nothing more, not even a dot at noon.

    Kathy
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ...Or are so well off (this thing is outrageously expensive!) that you have servants to worry about things like keeping track of the time for you...

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    Disaster Crow
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Hey, what time is it?" *starts drawing* "I don't know, man, but it's this shape right now-"

    Possibly Infected
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    https://shop.meyerobjects.com/clocks/frame-clock/?_ga=2.97869341.30920343.1550042174-135829779.1549022942&v=3a52f3c22ed6

    Sneakysnek
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like this clock, I would be horrible at telling the time in a hurry, but cool design though.

    TastyRex
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like it but I feel like the moving second hand square would slowly drive me batty.

    Forrest McCanless
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I will make one - easy to do - just a decent clock movement, and bend coat hanger wire to shape, and attach to some simple minute and hour hands. Woodworking places have many!

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    #50

    KV Bjørnøya, The Newest Vessel Being Built For The Norwegian Coast Guard

    KV Bjørnøya, The Newest Vessel Being Built For The Norwegian Coast Guard

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    #51

    The Starfield Logo Is So Pleasing To Look At

    The Starfield Logo Is So Pleasing To Look At

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    #54

    Aluminum Can Of Gin From Italy. Can't Spell Engine Oil Without Gin!

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