Big Brain Solutions to Problems That You Probably Never Heard of Before

You're only aware of the problems that directly affect you, but there are many more issues in the world.

Sophia

Published in Interesting
25 Apr 2022

Big Brain Solutions to Problems That You Probably Never Heard of Before

Some of the smartest solutions are hiding in plain sight, especially when they solve problems most people never think about. This collection is full of small design choices that make everyday life easier, from accessibility upgrades to clever public-space fixes.

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What makes these examples stand out is how practical they are. A campus table, a parking lot, a hotel room, or even a shopping cart can become much more useful with one thoughtful change, and that is exactly what these images show.

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It is a reminder that good design does not always need to be flashy, it just needs to work. Read on.

1. "These Tables at My College Campus Use Solar Panels as Shade, Which in Turn Provide Power for the Charging Ports on the Table"

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2. "This Picnic Table with an Extension for Wheelchair Users"

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3. "Home Office Busy Light - Wi-Fi Enabled LEDs in Door Jam Linked to My Work Calendar; When I'm in a Meeting, It Goes Red, and the Kids Know They Can't Come In"

Yellow for 'knock first,' green for 'come in for a chat' / 'draw on my whiteboard.' 3. "Home Office Busy Light - Wi-Fi Enabled LEDs in Door Jam Linked to My Work Calendar; When I'm in a Meeting, It Goes Red, and the Kids Know They Can't Come In"

That is the kind of small fix people notice right away.

4. "Thailand Supermarket Ditches Plastic Packaging for Banana Leaves"

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5. "My Hotel Phone in Iceland Has a Special Button That Will Wake You Up If There Are Northern Lights in the Sky"

6. "If You're Bored at the Baltimore Airport, You Can Learn CPR"

7. "This Parking Lot Has Lights Showing You the Empty Spaces. Genius!"

8. This Duck Ramp

9. This Railing in Naples Has a Description of the View in Braille for Blind People.

10. "My Park Installed Outdoor Workout Equipment Facing the Playground"

11. "This Park Has a Tiny Water Fountain for Dogs"

Little details like this make a place feel more thoughtful.

12. "Sink Area Designed for Drying"

These “small improvements that change everything” feel like the moments that prove the world is still full of surprises.

13. "You Can Sit at the Ends of This Picnic Table"

14. "My Eye Doctor's Office Uses Laminated Forms and a Wet Erase Marker to Cut Down on Paper Use"

15. "Seems Like a Good Time to Finally Show Off the Spice Rack I Built"

16. "This System Allows You to Know If the Package Has Been Handled Correctly"

17. "These Benches That Turn into Tables"

18. "Traffic Light for the Jedi. In Ukraine"

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19. "My Bracelet Came with a Paper Clip to Help Fasten the Clasp"

20. "Books-A-Million Puts a Slip of Paper Under the Stickers on Their Books to Prevent Sticker Residue from Being Left on the Covers"

21. "Movie Theater Tells You If There's a Scene Near the End of the Movie"

22. "This Shopping Cart Has a Spot for Kids to Stand On While the Parent Pushes"

23. "This Elevator with Foot Pedals for Floor Selection"

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Some of these ideas are so simple that they feel obvious after the fact.

24. "This Restaurant Figured Out That Face Masks Fit in the Napkin Dispenser"

25. "Tinder's Warning to the LGBTQ Community"

26. "Boards Installed at the Traffic Light So You Don't Have to Get Off Your Bike While Waiting"

27. "A Very Clever Story-Time Chair"

28. "Plantable Calendar Made from Recycled Paper"

29. "New Toaster Has a Finger Pull in the Cord"

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30. "On the Walls of Madrid's Metro System Is the Entire Novel of Don Quixote, So You Can Read While You Wait and Pick Up the Next Time Where You Left Off"

31. "University Has a Vending Machine with All the Things You Need as a Student, from Sanitary Pads to a Power Bank"

Now that is some outside-the-box thinking! These solutions seem so simple, yet it is not easy to come up with the idea out of the blue. It takes inspiration, for sure, in addition to a lot of creativity.

I hope that one day these solutions become available everywhere and not just in specific places. They make everyone's lives easier, so why not invest in them and help many people in the process?

Either way, kudos to the people who created these designs; please continue with these amazing contributions.

May more places start thinking this way.

Want more day-to-day wins, like the simple fix that makes ordinary situations easier? Practical Fixes That Make Ordinary Situations Easier To Handle.

Big Brain Solutions to Problems That You Probably Never Heard of Before

Sophia

1. "These Tables at My College Campus Use Solar Panels as Shade, Which in Turn Provide Power for the Charging Ports on the Table"

2. "This Picnic Table with an Extension for Wheelchair Users"

3. "Home Office Busy Light - Wi-Fi Enabled LEDs in Door Jam Linked to My Work Calendar; When I'm in a Meeting, It Goes Red, and the Kids Know They Can't Come In"

4. "Thailand Supermarket Ditches Plastic Packaging for Banana Leaves"

5. "My Hotel Phone in Iceland Has a Special Button That Will Wake You Up If There Are Northern Lights in the Sky"

6. "If You're Bored at the Baltimore Airport, You Can Learn CPR"

7. "This Parking Lot Has Lights Showing You the Empty Spaces. Genius!"

8. This Duck Ramp

9. This Railing in Naples Has a Description of the View in Braille for Blind People.

10. "My Park Installed Outdoor Workout Equipment Facing the Playground"

11. "This Park Has a Tiny Water Fountain for Dogs"

12. "Sink Area Designed for Drying"

13. "You Can Sit at the Ends of This Picnic Table"

14. "My Eye Doctor's Office Uses Laminated Forms and a Wet Erase Marker to Cut Down on Paper Use"

15. "Seems Like a Good Time to Finally Show Off the Spice Rack I Built"

16. "This System Allows You to Know If the Package Has Been Handled Correctly"

17. "These Benches That Turn into Tables"

18. "Traffic Light for the Jedi. In Ukraine"

19. "My Bracelet Came with a Paper Clip to Help Fasten the Clasp"

20. "Books-A-Million Puts a Slip of Paper Under the Stickers on Their Books to Prevent Sticker Residue from Being Left on the Covers"

21. "Movie Theater Tells You If There's a Scene Near the End of the Movie"

22. "This Shopping Cart Has a Spot for Kids to Stand On While the Parent Pushes"

23. "This Elevator with Foot Pedals for Floor Selection"

24. "This Restaurant Figured Out That Face Masks Fit in the Napkin Dispenser"

25. "Tinder's Warning to the LGBTQ Community"

26. "Boards Installed at the Traffic Light So You Don't Have to Get Off Your Bike While Waiting"

27. "A Very Clever Story-Time Chair"

28. "Plantable Calendar Made from Recycled Paper"

29. "New Toaster Has a Finger Pull in the Cord"

30. "On the Walls of Madrid's Metro System Is the Entire Novel of Don Quixote, So You Can Read While You Wait and Pick Up the Next Time Where You Left Off"

31. "University Has a Vending Machine with All the Things You Need as a Student, from Sanitary Pads to a Power Bank"

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