24 Brilliant Design Ideas So Smart They Should Win a Prize

Great design doesn’t just look good — it makes life easier, smarter, and sometimes even a little magical. From clever everyday fixes to creations that feel way ahead of their time, these 24 ideas are so brilliant they truly deserve an award.

1. New downward-tilting toilets are designed to become unbearable to sit on after 5 minutes to improve employee productivity.

2. “Pedestrian crossing light depicting 2 lovers, Taiwan”

3. “Neighbors turned a lawn chair into a porta-potty.”

4. “The dishwasher at my parents projects the remaining time on the floor below.”

5. “This unique wooden bicycle frame design.”

6. “This little pin and hole in a urinal at the Amsterdam Airport”

7. “This clever open/closed sign.”

8. This Target has a shopping cart escalator.

9. “These parking meters have creative shadows.”

10. “My newborn in a body composition pod.”

11. A good design for a portable charger

12. “Doritos-flavored Lay’s”

13. “This flexible bollard won‘t ruin your day if you back into it with your car.”

14. “The bathroom I’m using has toilet paper holders with built-in radios in each stall.”

15. “A measuring tape/leveler/notepad with pen”

16. “A hospital sink is operated with clever knee apparatus instead of hand knobs.”

17. “The classic red checkered pattern of the tablecloth from this restaurant is made of QR codes for their menu.”

18. “The push/pull sign on the door of a glasses shop”

19. “Periodic table shelving in a university lab”

20. “The way my hotel displays the room numbers”

21. “This food truck’s propane tanks look like ketchup and mustard bottles.”

22. “The drain is right under the soap dispenser so it doesn’t stain the sink.”

23. “This genius water bottle cap that I’ve never seen before”

24. “My avocado has a color chart on the sticker, so you know when it’s ripe.”

Bonus: simple but genius

At first, towel bars might seem like the tidier option compared to hooks. But since towels are used daily, keeping them perfectly folded and neat on a bar takes way more effort than it seems—and they’ll probably still end up wrinkled. Hooks, on the other hand, are much easier to manage and still keep your towels within reach.

Which design idea seems the most genius for you? What would you invent if you had enough money?

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