Seven Really Well Designed Things You're Gonna Want

We've all been to a store and seen some cool new gadget or tool or toy or something that we wanted, and then immediately started trying to figure out how to justify buying it, right?

You take a good look at it, you check the price a couple of times, you walk away and take your time shopping while you think about it. You go back and take a look at it again. You might even go ahead and put it in your cart, thinking that if you decide to not get it, you'll just stash it on top of some cans in the Asian section.

Some of us even go home and check ePinions or some review site to see what other people think about it.

Of course, some of us just buy it cuz it's cool looking or looks like it might work better than something we've already got. Some of us are so addicted to interesting and cool stuff that we know not to visit certain stores, or certain sections of the store.

Well, if you have struggles with this sort of thing, then you should probably not visit the International Design Excellence Awards site.

The IDEA Awards are given to products that are considered the best in the business as far as design goes, which means form and function. I've got some favorites from the 2007 gallery (see below).


Here's a quote from their site about what they are about:

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is the voice of the industrial design profession, advancing the quality and positive impact of design.

IDSA's mission is threefold:
• Lead the profession by expanding our horizons, connectivity and influence, and our service to members
• Inspire design quality and responsibility through professional development and education
• Elevate the business of design and improve our industry's value

This is great! Good design is always nice.

OXO Good Grips Hardware Hand Tools Line
You know these guys. They brought us the best kitchen utensils ever. I've got a can opener that I think is the best in the world. Well, they've come out with tools. In fact, I've got the OXO hammer and I liked it so much, I gave my old hammer to a friend when he moved out of his parent's house.

I love this company. Their products are not only well designed, but comfortable, and very functional, in fact, like I said before, their can opener is incredible, so it their potato peeler.

Nike + iPod Sports Kit
This is great, not that I'm a runner or anything. Looks like you can use a specified website to track and manage your workouts, as well as your playlist. Great partnership idea. The shoes talk to your iPod, and your iPod tells you stuff like how far you've run, how many calories you've used up...all voiced over the music you are listening to.

I haven't seen this out in stores, but I also don't hang out at stores that might have something like this. Maybe I should.



PicoCricket
Remember those electronic kits where you could wire the thing to make a buzzing sound or a doorbell or make an LED light turn on? Well, this is a next generation of that. Looks like you can wire these things together to make them do different things, and the components are clear to let you view the insides. Very cool. The PicoCricket site explains it like this:

For example, you can make a cat and program it to purr when someone pets it. Or you can make a birthday cake and program it to play a song when someone blows out the candles.

H-racer and Hydrogen Station Set
Talk about an environmentally political toy! This can is powered by hydrogen. You put water in the tank, and take it outside so the sun can convert it using the solar panel, and you've got a car that goes! What a leap from the water pressure powered rockets we used to play with. Their explanation says it best:

...a small-scale manifestation for environmentally sustainable, energy independent transportation based on hydrogen fuel cell technology...

One Touch™ Can Opener
A Cordless, Hands-free can opener. Looks like it "Walks around" the can until it's done. It's got a magnet to hold the top, and a retractable blade. Very cool.

The description says this was originally created for the elderly, which is great, and then I guess it caught on in the general market. My In-Laws could use one of these. They still have their original electric can opener with the little springy magnet thing, and wow, is it loud and squeels like a slipping compressor belt.

Kohler® Steward™ Waterless Urinal
I would totally put one of these in my house.. Apparently, it uses a liquid that is less dense than "liquid waste" that traps the odors, and it was designed to easily use and fit over existing water and waste pipes. Hope to pee in one of these some day.

I'm thinking toilet design will be a post some time in the future. I've been seeing some interesting ones lately.

I must admit, a urinal in my house is very interesting to me. I have a family member that installed a urinal in his master bathroom. Neat.



Roll N Roll
This is in the "Student Design" category, which I suppose that means it's not produced yet, but it's a great idea. Maybe not in the US, but in Asia, where I'm certain the manufacturing and disposal of wooden chopsticks is a huge issue, this would be great. Do you remember those slap-on bracelets in the 80s? Well, this idea is a bracelet that unrolls into chopsticks. How many people are we going to see with noodles clinging to their wrists? Maybe that will become a fashion statement.






Hope this helps.

What do you think?
1. What store do you have to avoid?
2. What's the coolest thing you've got?
3. Have you ever invented something?