Image via Complex Original
What was cool last year is pretty much a fossil today. We live in a day and age where newer is better, and the ability to think outside of the box is key when attempting to reinvent objects that have been a part of our lives for years. Items that we thought couldn’t get any simpler, like a dustpan or toothbrush, have been upgraded by top-notch designers. Take a look at this list of 20 Product Designs That Prove We Were Doing It All Wrong, and you'll start wondering what else we can improve on.
Created by: Amron
Price: $31.50
This toothbrush just made your morning routine a bit more productive. The Rinser is essentially a portable water fountain. Instead of wasting countless cups or fumbling to get a drop of water with your hands, try upgrading your toothbrush to this simple, yet clever, reinvention.
GIGS2GO
Created by: Yanko Designs
Price: N/A
GIGS2GO provides convenient storage, only a tear away. No bigger than a credit card, GIGS2GO allows you to easily save your larger files while also staying environmentally conscious. Each 1-GB USB is made from post-consumer paper pulp.
Created by: BIA Cordon Bleu
Price: $9.99
Keep your soup and crackers close with this two-in-one bow. Whether its pita chips and hummus or chips and dip, this bowl is the perfect vehicle for snacks that can’t live without each other.
Note Leaving Toaster
Created by: Sasha Tseng
Price: N/A
Imagine waking up to a piece of toast that reminds you, “Before you eat this, how about you take out the garbage?” With this innovative toaster designed by Susan Tseng, you can write to-do lists, sweet nothings, or ever a little hate mail directly on your housemate’s morning bite.
Prong PocketPlug iPhone Case
Created by: Prong
Price: $51.76
They're three types of iPhone struggles: the no charger at all struggle, the USB cord without the plug struggle, and vise versa. The Prong PocketPlug solves the issue of always having to remember your charger by integrating it into the phone case. Now all you have to worry about is finding an outlet.
Created by: Sungwoo Park
Price: N/A
It's moments after a rainstorm, and you're waiting for the bus. All you want to do is sit down, but the bench is soaked. With the Rolling Bench, all you have to do is crank the handle to rotate the dry side of the bench up, providing you with a comfy and dry place to sit.
Created by: Sagaform
Price: $19.95
Cutting pizza will never be the same with this two-in-one kitchen tool. With two kitchen necessities in tow, you'll be in charge of all pizza distribution from here on out, saving yourself the biggest slice, of course.
Created by: Ben Melinger
Price: N/A
The only problem with your morning cup of coffee is the cup. Paper cups are just wasteful, and ceramic mugs take up so much space. The Smash Cup solves both problems with their collapsible coffee cup that gets small enough to fit in your pocket. It's quite useful for those who are on the go with limited space in there bags.
Just Crunch Anti-Soggy Cereal Bowl
Created by: Just Solutions
Price: $7.99
Finally, a solution to the age-old problem of soggy cereal. It's 2014 and it’s about time we get a bit more control over the milk-to-cereal ratio. With the Just Crunch Anti-Soggy Cereal Bowl you're in charge of where and when cereal meets milk.
Created by: Robert Haleluk
Price: $2.99
A match made in heaven just got a little better. Milk and cookies come together even more seamlessly with the advent of the Dipr. This cool little tool allows you to get maximum dunk with minimal effort, so you don't have to continue trying to fit your entire fist into a little glass of milk.
Created by: Dominic Wilcox
Price: N/A
The Wizard of Oz meets 21st century navigation in this high tech men's shoe. Ingeniously designed to tell you how to get from point A to point B (the left shoe points in the desired direction, and the right acts as the progress bar), all you have to do is upload the destination.
HÖVDING
Created by: Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin
Price: $404
Since the dawn of time, almost every person who's owned a bicycle has lived in fear of helmet hair. With the HÖVDING, a collar that conceals a portable airbag that releases on impact, you can stylishly hide your safety precautions.
Created by: Henry Wang and Chris Curro
Price: N/A
How can something as commonplace as the cardboard box have taken so long to reinvent? Two students at the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at Cooper Union took on the ubiquitous storage container, and made a version that’s environmentally safe and cheaper than the traditional cardboard box.
Created by: Vinay Mehta
Price: N/A
The closest we may ever get to perfection is pizza, but even the delicious food source has its flaws, including soggy crust upon delivery. With the VENTiT, a “breathing box,” soggy crust is no longer an issue. The vents within the box allow steam to escape, leaving the crust as amazing as it was seconds out of the oven.
Created by: Jan Kochański
Price: $49.95
Even something as simple as a broom and dustpan can stand for a design facelift. The dustpan is rethought with features we never knew we needed, making our lives easier as well as dust free.
Created by: Berg
Price: $199
Little Printer is your smartphone’s new best friend. Sync Little Printer up with your social networks or favorite publications, and it compiles all of your must-have reads into a concise, printed mini-newsletter with items that cater to you. But the fun doesn’t stop there. You can even subscribe to newsfeeds, Twitter alerts, and puzzles that are delivered to you at a predetermined time.
Cube Tube
Created by: Jenson
Price: $12.99
With the Quirky Cube Tube, you no longer have to worry about getting more ice cubes on the floor than in your cup. So simple, so innovative, and so necessary, this product makes you wonder why you didn’t think of it first.
Created by: kawamura-ganjavian
Price: $99
The Ostrich Pillow makes any spot perfect for an afternoon nap. Great for the frequent traveler or the sleep deprived student, “its soothing cave-like interior shelters and isolates both your head and hands,” creating the perfect atmosphere for those much needed z's.
Insider
Created by: David Lent
Price: $20
Grocery lists are so last year. The Insider Fridge Cam creates an up-to-date feed of the groceries left in your fridge. Once synced up with your phone, you can easily check to see what’s needed while at the grocery store, making your life all the more easier and technologically advanced.
Created by: Thingk
Price: N/A
Unlike traditional cutting boards, GKILO also functions as a scale. When synchronized with an app, once you've selected the given food, the app will suggest a cooking time based on the item’s weight, leaving you with perfectly cooked food.
