Shit Happens

I never thought I'd say these words but... check out these super cute Dog Poo Bags! Not only are they funny, they are also super functional. They have a smart folding scoop feature, a useful handle (opposite to the business end of the bag), and they are biodegradable. (Found through Notcot.com).

Stopener

Great student design by Bum Joon Lee and Seung Hwan Shin. Winner of an IDEA Bronze award, this concept aims to improve pop cans by turning the tab into a twisting lid. The closing top reduces spilling on the carpet and more importantly... swallowing bees.

PT3

This fabulous PT3 table tennis packaging was created for Puma by the brilliant Aruliden design and branding consultancy. The design is made up of two plastic halves held together by magnets, housing the paddle and ball sets. The design is simple and elegant. I've used this image in most of the image boards that I've done this year. This design recently won two prestigious design awards: an IDEA Bronze award in the Leisure & Recreation category and a I.D. Annual Review Best in Category award for Packaging.

Daylesford Organic

I've newly discovered Great Britain's Daylesford Organic. It's an organic store that specializes in food and home products. Their website is drool-worthy gorgeous. It's branding at its best. Plus, they have some refreshing approaches to products, like this fresh organic milk packaged in environmentally friendly, biodegradable, fold-flat milk jugs (slash bags).

Easy PB&J Jar

Mmmm, I love peanut butter. Everyone who loves peanut butter knows how much it sucks to get to the bottom of the jar (and not just because you are out of PB). Even if you are a talented scraper, the bottom of the jar is hard to get to, especially without getting peanut butter all over your hand or knife (or spoon if you are so inclined). Anyway... Sherwood Forlee has solved all of my problems with this Easy PB&J Jar. It includes the simple but brilliant improvement, both ends open to easily access the bottom of the jar.

Help

I'm head over heals (spelling error intended) for the folks over at Help. Their product offering is pretty simple. It consists of two products: Acetaminophen tablets entitled 'Help I Have a Headache' (Ha!) and band aids entitled 'Help I've Cut Myself' (Haha!). Their product line alone totally had me sold on the company... but there's more. They also try to be socially responsible. All of their packaging is made out of 100% recycled molded paper pulp and manufactured in the US by a factory that helps adults with learning disabilities. They also have a sense of humor. You can order customized 'Help I...' t-shirts on their website, where you fill in the blank with whatever tickles your funny bone. If all that doesn't make them awesome enough, they also offer other Help activities such as Help I'm Bored, Help I'm Illiterate, or Help I'm Homesick (my personal favorite!). I'm not sure who is behind the company Help, but I've decided you are totally awesome!

LINC - The Lifecycle Concept Phone

The amazing designers at Kaleidoscope's Greener Grass project have come up with another interesting cell phone concept. Inspired by their attendance of the Greener Gadgets Conference, the LINC phone concept was designed with the product's entire lifecycle in mind. The phone is made to be easily disassembled. When LINC's hardware becomes obsolete, users are asked to ship in back to the company in exchange for an updated phone. The manufacturer then easily disassembles the phone using a directed radiant heat beam which targets its internal memory metal latch, releasing the assembly. The phone's components (glass, metal, electronics, etc.) are all appropriately recycled, reused, or safely disposed of (in the case of hazardous materials). In the quick and ever changing world of technology that we live in, it's great to see product designers not only focusing on how the product is used, but what happens to it when it needs replacing.

Vuru

Vuru provides an interesting service. They create customized daily vitamin and supplement packages for their customers. You can go to their website, enter in the daily supplements you take and they will send you a supply of individually packed pills that match your daily intake. I think this is a really smart idea. It saves people a lot of time and effort, especially if you take more than a couple supplements a day; it avoids the hassle of all of your pills running out at different times; it's especially useful for people who travel a lot, packing your vitamins means just grabbing a couple of packs; and if you have to take some vitamins when you are out for lunch or dinner, just take the resealable bag with you. I've seen a lot of great redesigns for the weekly pill box, but the simplicity of this solution puts them all to shame.