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

Combination gadgets never get old, and here are some new ones to make kitchen tasks a little easier.

Designed to cut through pizza and then flip sideways to dish it up with a flick of the wrist, this pizza cutter and spatula looks like it could even work its way through a dessert or two.

Grilled cheese and soup never look so good as when they are sharing the same plate. This combo bowl and plate set is the perfect size for any soup & sandwich.

Combining a strainer and measuring cup, this fat separator helps to keep the flavor of gravy, soups and stock without the fat. Non-slip grip and see-through design are always useful when working in the kitchen.

Grater, herb scoop, peeler, zester and knife all in one — this combo knife set does it all. Saving drawer space is smart design, and by using this tool, you can ditch those four other tools and save some valuable space.

This 5-in-1 utensil set combines a scraper, strainer, spreader, spoon and server made from reclaimed nylon. It even locks together for storing flat and has a 450-degree melting point.

The Coil Lamp, created for an exhibition of conceptual furniture in Chicago, has now found its way to your living room. The one of a kind lamp is made from wrapping an orange, 100 foot cord around an acrylic skeleton to create the form of a lamp. Bright idea? Sure.

Here are a few ways to store and pour things from the kitchen including brown sugar, milk and tea. Some unique, some clever, some functional; but all double walled in design.

bottle inside of a glass blow molded utter milk decanter, wine glass in a bottle double walled coffee mug tornado in a glass brown sugar castor double walled cruets double walled tea press champagne flutes stackable double walled glasses

Going back to school means a lot of people buying a whole lot of new things. Teachers, students, parents; we are all consumers. With so many designs keeping the environment in mind during planning and manufacture, it would be nice to see a few students sporting green with their back to school gear. Here are a few products to get you started.

Newton running shoes are more than just green. The shoes laces, webbing, insole top and outer sole rubber are made of recycled materials. And there is more; the package is made of the same post-consumer paper waste as egg cartons. And to get greener than green, the shoe is stuffed with a pair of new socks and a reusable bag to avoid useless tissue paper that would normally get tossed after opening.

Every new school year sees last year’s trends moved aside for the hottest new items. Well, try going green with this 100% recycled material backpack. The cost of the backpack even includes a donation to American Rainforests, so chances are you will be helping to add a tree or two for your money well spent.

Radiohead, noted to be one of the greenest bands out there has extended its line of apparel to raincoats. The nice thing about their designer coat (other than it is made for Radiohead) is that it took 15 recycled PETG bottles to create it. Look cool, feel cool and be cool with this post-consumer jacket this fall.

And speaking of rainy fall weather, if campus life has you traveling by foot from class to class, be sure to pack an umbrella. This umbrella has a canopy made of 100% recycled PETG bottles with a frame made of 70% recycled steel, aluminum and ABS plastics. 

Pack up your pencils, pens and markers into this recycled supply pouch and feel good knowing that the world has one less tire in its landfills. And while you’re at it, stuff in the ruler made of, “read it together class: three plastic cups.”

Who goes to school without a notebook. If you are going to have to take notes, you might as well write onto something worth writing on. This recycled material notebook will have you daydreaming and doodling in no time, thanks to recycled juice cartons and plastic boxes.

Highlighters are a must for most note-takers and young scholars. Why not go green when you go yellow by using these Zebra-Eco highlighters made from 74% post-consumer waste. Go ahead, stuff it in that pouch you just read about.

Packing your lunch is a must for some students, by choice or necessity. Do it in style with this second-life juice pouch bag. This ECOutlet bag is made from materials once known as trash, but now known as green.

I would have to say the biggest complaint about going green, is all the green you spend in doing so. Although it can be costly to buy environmentally responsible products, sometimes I think it is worth it to do so, as with this computer. With an 80% smaller size, using 70% less energy and 75% less printed paperwork to go with it, this Dell desktop computer is definitely getting greener. You can even recycle 95% of the product after it becomes obsolete.

Creative people always find a way to market their creative work. These hand-made greeting cards, by a company in Arizona, are influenced by the work of Joan Miro and Alexander Calder. Using paper, wire, and spools of thread, each one of these cards are hand crafted as unique keepsakes for the recipient. Creativity can offer a wealth of opportunity for those who pursue their passion, and this is a perfect example of that.

Here are ten great images to make you say ‘wow’, all from the team at Straight Line Designs. I have seen these images peppered throughout the design blog world for some time now, but I thought I would include a top 10 of what I consider to be their most unique designs as a collection. Enjoy!

3M Canada hosted a design competition and the above are the winning entries, both from students of the Ontario College of Art and Design. The Scotch tape dispenser and post-it note dispensers were awarded the grand prize of actually going into production for the 2010 line of office products. I am in awe at how simple, yet clever the tape dispenser design is. Bravo to the winners!

Oh, how I wish these were available for sale. Price being $TBA, I have no way of ordering these innovative Food Face plates for my daughter. Concept design is great until you want to get your hands on something!!

These versatile fabric maps  are the perfect way to carry your city map with you as you travel. Both unique and functional, this patented design is ideal as an impulse buy for tourists or as the perfect accessory for hosting out-of-town guests.

If I see one more alphabet themed cut-out design I am going to scream! For too long now I have seen knock-off versions of a decent design idea on everything from coasters, to scarves to “limited” prints to new inventions. Every time I see another variation of this cluster-font design, it reminds me of how saturated the market can be with lazy design and a lack of creativity. It’s like picking up the children’s classic, Three Little Pigs, in a bookstore and seeing a total knock-off beside it with three mice and a cat rather than pigs and a wolf, then seeing a version with three cats and a dog beside that one. Enough is enough!