Dedicated to inspiring designers, inventors & the creative spirit in all of us.

No need for words, just watch this video. 

Aspex, a leading designer of tabletop scanners, has challenged its online viewers to submit sample items that they are curious to see magnified to extreme precision.  Have you ever wondered what things look like up close and personal?  Well, fill out a form and send them your sample to see whatever you have been curious to view magnified.

Below are common items already submitted and on display for the world to see. A penny, sidewalk chalk, cat hair, a piece of hard candy.  Maybe you can see your sample on their list of items under the microscope.

This set of images shows an exercise in packaging by Sylvain Allard, teacher at UQAM School of Design.

Each one uses only a single piece of plain white paper, with no constraints of transportation or marketing of the 2D to 3D studies. I thought it was a clever approach to training students on limitations in the world of advertising; though many of the designs are not feasible, the students gained a knowledge of volume and practice at thinking fast on their feet.

Every so often I find a really great website and have to do some catching up to get me up to speed with its past posts. PackagingUQAM is one of those sites. So here is a crash course in some of their best content to date. 

(Just a warning for you non-French readers, be prepared to activate Google Translate.)

Having a daughter who has recently begun to read letters and numbers every chance she can identify them, I thought this was a very cute set of cups. 

The Dieline included this image among others in their most recent Top 1O Package Designs.

Have your cake and eat it too! The contents are chocolate, the box is chocolate, everything is chocolate. This chocolate box is an edible way to creatively store your favorite chocolate treats, and it is way more delicious than any other box of chocolates out there.

These spiral paper note pads called Bloc Notes are a real fresh approach to office supply design. The pear and apple shaped notepads make up in detail what they lack in flavor; the seeds, stems and flesh of the fruit make each very appealing to the eye… maybe not as functional as Post-Its, but definitely more fun!

After 42 years of using the famous ketchup packet worldwide, Heinz Ketchup has turned a corner. The condiment giant has re-designed what was once seen as a type form, the ketchup packet, by condensing the contents of 3 ketchup packets into one Dip & Squeeze. 

Not to say the ketchup packet is gone forever, but the next time I get food to go, I an expecting to get one of these new ketchup containers. Either rip off the top and squeeze out the ketchup the traditional way, or peel away the thin plastic membrane and dip your food into the wide mouth opening — neat, simple… simply great!

Sugru is described as a creator’s dream, a means to have things that you have already, but better. This room temperature-curing silicone putty has been used for mending pottery, modifying electronics and patching fabric.

Heat resistant, washable and tactile enough to mold to any form, this stuff sold out within 16 hours during its online debut. So, when it becomes available again, you’ll have to act fast if you want some for yourself!

Non-toxic water trick that produces transparent water marbles that will amaze you. Pretty cool science.