What you see isn’t always what you get… but in a totally awesome way. In a world chock-full of truly awful design decisions, it’s refreshing to see things made by people who are thoughtful, imaginative, and who put the user first. And sometimes, they completely stun with the hidden, unexpected features they add to their products. So much so that people can’t help but share a photo of it online.
Our design-loving team here at Bored Panda has collected some of the best examples of products that have impressive surprises, tiny little features, and hidden humor that are as close to magic as us muggles can get. We hope that you’ll enjoy these and that they’ll inspire you to look at the creative process with even more innovation than usual.
Once you’ve upvoted your favorite pics, be sure to let us and all the other Pandas know which of these product ideas you loved the most. We totally don’t want to sway you one way or the other, but some of our favors include the cappuccino cup with the delightful miniature ice-cream cone holder on the saucer, as well as the plantable seed tag, among many others. Read to have your imaginations expanded and to see generosity done right. Enjoy!
Bored Panda wanted to understand product design better, so we reached out to Matt Johnson, Ph.D. A professor of consumer psychology at Hult International Business School and Harvard University, as well as the author of ‘Branding that Means Business,’ and the host of the Neuroscience of Branding blog, Johnson shared his thoughts about user-friendly designs, the potential (and risk!) of unexpected features, as well as what wins out in the end—the power of the brand or the functionality of the product itself. Read on to find out what he told us.
#1 My Husband Ordered A Used Laptop And It Arrived Completely Packed In Little Paper Cranes
Image source: kamarsh79
#2 This Painting I Bought At The Zoo Came With A Picture Of The Meerkat Family Who Painted It
Image source: PreoccupiedDuck
#3 The Box That My Grill Came In Can Be Inverted To Make A Playhouse For A Toddler
Image source: SexyOctagon
#4 My Dogs Tore Apart A Cactus Toy, To Reveal Another, Sad Cactus Toy
Image source: SilverTigerstripes
#5 My Cappuccino Came With A Tiny Ice Cream
Image source: SwissJAmes
#6 The Book My SO Purchased Came With A Bookmark That Listed The Character’s Names And Their Roles
Image source: koshkapianino
#7 My Hair Dye Came With Little Gloves To Cover My Glasses
Image source: ohkatiep
#8 My Toilet Paper Came With A To-Go Roll In The Middle
Image source: JDub91
#9 First CD I Bought In 15 Years. Came With A Cardboard Gramophone. It Works
Image source: GhostalMedia
#10 My Shirt Has A Microfiber Sewn On The Inside To Clean Glasses
Image source: benjaminrodtx
#11 My Bra Came With An Info Tag On Checking Yourself For Breast Cancer
Image source: BaconOfTroy
#12 This Message Stamped On The Squeaker Inside The Stuffed Animal My Dog Just Destroyed
Image source: chakalakasp
#13 My Spatula Has A Little Stand So It Doesn’t Touch The Counter
Image source: dgroove8
#14 Diploma Came With A Wallet-Sized Version
Image source: BearLifts93
#15 This Hot Water Heater Has A Pie Warmer
Image source: Hustler_Kamikaze
#16 Amazon Purchase Came With A Personal Note And Some Russian Coins
Image source: N000ICE
#17 The Inside Of The Pizza Box Was A Tuxedo
Image source: pwenski
#18 My Backpack’s Front Buckle Has A Built In Whistle
Image source: skabanos
#19 Microwave Came With Optional Braille Cover
Image source: -TUX-
#20 The Wine I Ordered Online Came With A Tiny Set Of Dice Packaged Inside A Hollow Cork
Image source: Calliope719
#21 The Logo On My Umbrella Only Shows Up When Wet
Image source: jaegee0000
#22 My New Dress Came With A Napkin, Apparently
Image source: ENFJPLinguaphile
#23 I Bought A Pack Of Cigarettes And They Came With A Postage-Paid Recycling Pouch
Image source: p4d4
#24 This Nutmeg I Bought In France Comes With Its Own Tiny Grater
Image source: ginger_mayne
#25 My Bottle Of Canadian Whisky Came With Free Public Transportation
Image source: Holmes870
#26 These Winter Boots Have A Flip-Down Ice Cleat In The Heel To Help With Walking On Icy Surfaces
Image source: TheRealJasonium
#27 Got A New Travel Wallet And I Found This In The Back Of The Notebook That Came With It
Image source: Thewildfalcon
#28 This Yogurt Lid Can Be Folded Into A Little Spoon
Image source: OnTheMidnightTrain
#29 My Spoon Carving Kit Came With Band-Aids
Image source: theacropanda
#30 My Raincoat Reveals A Floral Pattern When Wet
Image source: trashyfictions
#31 Multi-Tool Belt
Image source: Arsenic75-Q
#32 My New Frying Pan Came With A Plantable Seed Tag
Image source: coogiwaves
#33 My Bracelet Came With A Paper Clip To Help Fasten The Clasp
Image source: nomoredolls
#34 This Baby Pickle Jar Came With A Tiny Elevator For Them
Image source: unthused
#35 My New Set Of Sheets Came With A Handy Little Pocket
Image source: ThePlayfulPython
#36 My New Jeep Came With A Sasquatch On The Window
Image source: AdrianTheGreat24
#37 I Bought A Tie Today And It Came With A Matching Face Mask
Image source: Soviet_Broski
#38 My New Wok Has Circles For Measuring Oil
Image source: emilyr3183
#39 This Packet Of Sponges Came With A Free Hedgehog
Image source: Changmeister888
#40 My Coaster Came With A Built In Activity
Image source: Steph_WaHoo
#41 These Chairs In A Ski Resort Restaurant Have Room For Your Gloves, Helmet, Hat Etc
Image source: kazarnowicz
#42 My Thai Food Came With A Chork
Image source: finchdog
#43 My Newspaper Came With 2 Printed Pattern Pages To Wrap Presents
Image source: PlanetGG
#44 Nail Polish Bottle Has A Swatch Of The Color Attached To The Bottle So You Can See How The Color Looks On You
Image source: Pastel_Bishop
#45 My New Fridge Came With An Explication Of Sounds
Image source: Aussie_bro
#46 My Gardening Tool Kit Came With A Claw Glove
Image source: Shrimpio
#47 My Gas Bill Came With A Scratch ‘N Sniff
Image source: LadyJane17
#48 My Dog Treats Came With A Clip So You Can Attach One To Your Phone And Take A Selfie With Your Dog
Image source: bjexSALT
#49 This Pan Has A Thermochromic Indicator To Show If It Is Hot
Image source: RealNajm
#50 These Japanese Umbrellas Only Have Patterns When Wet
Image source: rainer511
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