New Designs for Everyday Problems

Have you ever thought about something new that came out in the market and said, "What a simple and clever idea. I am surprised no one had thought of that?"

While teaching in the middle grades a colleague and I held a invention fair made up of inventions the students came up with. They were to think of their everyday life and try to solve a problem. However, for them it was a final project on simple electricity and their inventions had to have a circuit, switch and load in it. It was amazing to see what they came up with , from an instant dog feeder to a birdfeeder that would keep off squirrels.

Lately, I have been thinking of finding solutions to problems in everyday life. Some simple designs that are great are: the new squeeze bottles that are stored upside down. Target has come out with an improved design for prescription bottles.
A graphics designer came up with the idea after her grandmother Helen accidentally swallowed pills meant for her husband, Herman.

The new upside down bottles for ketchup, shampoo, lotion and other products are a big improvement with much less wasted product for the consumer.

Some new ideas are coming from biomimicry. One early discovery and invention, came from George de Mestral as he was walking in a field and got some burrs stuck to his pants. After looking at the burrs under a microscope he used the idea to invent velcro (a combination of the words velour and crochet).

Great new examples are being discovered by naturalists and engineers working together. A few discoveries are abalone inspired ceramics, blue-mussel inspired underwater glue, butterfly-inspired pigment-free color and bat inspired walking canes.

The lotus leaf is considered sacred in Asian religions for its ability to stay dry and clean. When water drops on the leaf, it beads up and rolls off the waxy surface, washing away dirt as it goes.
Scientists, too, have long praised the plant for its water-resistant and self-cleaning properties.
A group of Turkish scientists have come up with an inexpensive waterproof material based on these properties.

Janine Benyus a proponent for biomimicry gives an excellent explanation of biomimicry and tells about some new discoveries in the field. In this video, she talks about 12 sustainable design ideas from nature.

What everyday problems could we solve by looking closely at how nature solves the problems? The next time you are walking in the woods, snorkeling in the ocean or just in your back yard, think about what you see from the perspective of nature solving a problem that we might have.

New Design Links:
Product Design, Nature's Way
Sea Sponge Soaks up Sunlight