Image via Complex Original
The popular crowd funding website Kickstarter is home to entrepreneurs, inventors, and conceptual thinkers worldwide. It harnesses the Internet's amazing networking powers, linking the people who have ideas with the people who have the cash to make them happen.
Users post information about their projects and themselves along with short videos in order to attract backers, the people who will fund their project. The project starters input a cash goal and are given a deadline; if they receive enough backing within their time-line, they've hit the jackpot. So have the consumers, who get to enjoy a new, innovative product.
Here are 15 Design Kickstarter Projects Worth Funding. Become a backer yourself or to just marvel at the creativity invested in these projects that range from a bike-powered personal shelter, to a font specially created for children and teachers, to bee-friendly beehives.
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Funding deadline: March 16, 2014
If you're earth-conscious enough to use a compost bin, why should you be punished by having to clean out the gross mush at the bottom of the bin after you empty it out? That's why the Greenlid was born. Fill the container with your banana peels and coffee grounds, and then put it in an organic curbside bin (or bury it in your backyard). The basket is made from recycled pulp paper and completely biodegradable. The lid is reusable and dishwasher-safe. Compost away!
Funding deadline: March 16, 2014
Do you know anyone who puts their iPhone in a plastic baggie so that they can use it in the bathtub or shower? Improvise no more! Here is HOYO, designed to keep your electronics safe and dry so that you can listen to music, read the news, play Flappy Bird, or FaceTime while you bathe. Better yet, HOYO isn't just for the shower. Also use it when participating in grimy tasks such as gardening, making cookies, or painting the living room.
Funding deadline: February 28, 2014
Marion Labbez handcrafts mirrors and glass finishes for interior designs, using silver and gold leaf on bespoke glass. Her work is beautiful and original; it has been commissioned for high-end private properties, hotels, and restaurants. She plans to launch her own business at Clerkenwell Design Week, where she has been invited to showcase her design work in an exhibition. The backing for her Kickstarter project will go towards preparing for this exhibition, where Marion will have a chance to establish her brand and reach potential clients.
Funding deadline: March 7, 2014
Jeff Boggs, creator of the TempaGrill, found the lack of temperature control on an outdoor grill frustrating. With only the two options of closing or opening the grill lid, he found his meat was always either charred or undercooked. Maybe you've encountered the same problem in your own grilling experience. The TempaGrill is a tool designed to prop the grill lid open to three varying angles, offering a greater range of grilling temperatures. You'll find yourself saying, like a very manly Goldilocks, "Not too hot... Not too cool... It's just right."
Funding deadline: March 7, 2014
As you may have heard, the honeybee population is in decline. This is a foreboding sign, not only for the honey we use to sweeten our tea, but for our ecosystem at large. That's why Lukas and Candice decided to craft a beautiful and unique beehive design that supports bee colony health. Their Kickstarter project seeks funding to build more hives to test their design and to begin distributing the hives in 2015. Save the bees!
Funding deadline: February 27, 2014
Did you know that no font exists that follows all of the conventional handwriting rules that we teach children? In an age when handwriting is increasingly being replaced by typed text, it seems essential to provide consistency between typeface and penmanship for young students. This (admittedly not-so-attractive) font does just that.
Funding deadline: March 27, 2014
Gypsy Mule Wagons are basically Transformers for grown-ups. Instead of lugging your beach chairs under your arm along with your cooler, bags, and umbrella, you can transform your beach chairs into a wagon and throw the rest inside. Perfect for making travel to the beach or poolside convenient, these chair-wagons also fold up for easy storage when you don't need them.
Funding deadline: February 26, 2014
Don't you hate it when you're on your yacht, and your champagne keeps spilling because of the choppy waters? Worst day ever. Here's your solution: these sailing bowls dance along with the tide, keeping your drink safe, albeit a bit sloshy, in the cup. Bonus: no need to mix your cocktails! These sailing bowls are great whether or not you frequently sail. They would also be a fun addition to any party or dinner.
Funding deadline: March 1, 2014
How do you think filmmakers achieve those smooth panoramic shots? Answer: the number one quality sought in videographers is steady hands. Just kidding. Videographers have to use equipment to help them shoot these scenes—equipment that is normally large, expensive, and cumbersome. With the advent of smaller and lighter camera technology, Chris and Steve Burrows saw an opportunity to revolutionize filmmaking. Their Kickrig Slider Beam is a camera mount that slides on a beam, coming in different sizes and prices, and allowing a smaller and cheaper option for hobbyists or artists on a budget.
Funding deadline: April 4, 2014
Isaac Porras has created a solar-powered USB charger that outperforms its competitors in functionality, convenience, and durability. It's made with hikers and bicyclists in mind but is perfect for anyone who wants a reliable and sustainable method of charging their electronics using only sunlight. It is water-resistant, made in the USA, and comes with all of the mounting equipment and straps necessary for use on a bicycle or backpack.
Funding deadline: March 5, 2014
We use business cards to market ourselves. What better way to keep you name in a potential client's wallet than by handing them a unique and striking business card? Fully customizable and 100% unforgettable, these cards are sure to bring you business... Or at least they'll pique interest and start conversations.
Funding deadline: March 11, 2014
Millions of people worldwide face the challenges of homelessness daily. Living without a secure home base hinders many aspects of life that many of us take for granted. The Bike RV design seeks to alleviate a few of these problems for the homeless, namely shelter, storage, and transportation. The mobile shelter is powered by a bicycle, offering a mode of transportation as well as a secure and private place to sleep and to store personal items and food. The creator, Steve Moog, also has a vision for how this concept could develop to include even more uses down the line.
Funding deadline: March 19, 2014
Coffee rituals are indeed sacred. That's why you don't want to find yourself lost in a strange land with your K-cup and with no way to brew it. With your handy K-pod Coffee Converter, you can enjoy your K-cup coffee from any coffee maker. This is useful for visiting your parents, one-night stands, business trips, and when you're invited to the International Space Station.
Funding deadline: March 13, 2014
Body art and modification is more than a form of accessorizing—it's a culture. It only makes sense, then, that there should be a social networking tool for people who have embraced this way of life. OTZI aims to do just this using an app to "connect the world with certified, useful artists and services." The project is based in Australia, but for you non-Aussies out there, if OTZI gains the backing to get started, it could take off and become global. We can't imagine that such a great app wouldn't take off right away.
Funding deadline: March 4, 2014
Playing cards is fun and all, but it's a lot more fun when you have a novelty deck in your hands. This deck of cards will tantalize your inner art lover. Creator Johnny Whaam has recreated 54 classic masterpieces to adorn these cards, which are branded by Bicycle. Just try not to abandon your game of Go Fish so that you can run off to the nearest art museum.
