Jennifer B. Davis
Sometimes you see products or ideas and immediately think "Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?" Here are a few that I think are great.



In the land of the Dutch, where bicycles reign, a new company is combining bike racks with hand pumps for tires. Springwise pointed it out and you can learn more at http://www.heklucht.nl/. I love when convenience and user experience are combined with common materials to deliver a new thing. Somehow this reminds me of a former colleague who installed a beer keg in his garage and punched through the adjoining wall, so that he could tap beer right from his recliner in front of the TV (okay, maybe that is exactly opposite of a bike rack).


If you have ever juggled silverware and your plate at a potluck, then you'll love snap-and-dine. All the pieces are joined together to create a sturdy surface for the buffet line. The only thing they need to add is a glass and a napkin. This one was from CoolHunting.

The final submission is not a product, but rather a crowd-sourced service of sorts. When we were choosing names for our children I found a very useful site where strangers had gone to the trouble to rate and comment on names, ranking them according to perceived attractiveness, intelligence, athleticism, and other criteria that might come back to haunt the kids later. I found it very insightful and I really valued getting the feedback early before we made a mistake. Now, you can get strangers to provide your image consulting in much the same way. Your very own focus group. Sadly, the site and service are only in German, but what an opportunity for someone in the States to do something similar (or to utilize their high school German). Check it out at checkyourimage.com.




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