Mental Floss

DESIGN

Screenshot via Urban Scratch Off

Reveal How New York Has Changed With This 'Scratch-Off' Map

It's like a lottery ticket, but you win history instead of cash.

27 Hidden Messages in Company Logos

How many of these have you spotted?

Screenshot // Transit Explorer

The Future of American Public Transportation in One Map

Transit Explorer maps North America’s “fixed-guideway transit” options, like subways, streetcars, commuter trains, and bus-rapid transit.

Dave Delisle

8 Bunk Beds That Are (Almost) Too Cool to Sleep In

These custom designs are guaranteed to make bedtime way more exciting.

Eindhoven University of Technology

Students Turn Leonardo da Vinci's Design Into the World's Longest Ice Bridge

The ice bridge will stretch 115 feet.

Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

12 People Behind Ubiquitous Designs

Corporate design is its own kind of art form, but the people behind those designs almost never get their proper due. Here are 12 of the people whose designs have left a permanent mark on U.S. culture.

Indiegogo

These Revolutionary Earbuds Mold to the Shape of Your Ears

The days of uncomfortable earphones are over!

iStock

How Bathroom Stick-Figures Became Universal Symbols

Love them or hate them, we all know what these figures are supposed to mean.

Display Graphic Design Collection, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

NASA Provides Free PDF of Their 1970s Design Manual

Explore the graphic guidelines of NASA in the 1970s.

iStock

Detroit Named America’s First UNESCO Design City

The Motor City joins 115 other global cities that have decided to make creative industries a development priority.

Joey Lax-Salinas via Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The Plan to Transform NYC's Broadway Into 40 Blocks of Green Space

The "Green Line" would stretch from Union Square to Columbus Circle.

MIT via Vimeo

This 2000-Pound Sculpture Can Be Moved With a Fingertip

The project from MIT is meant to demonstrate how Easter Island's statues were transported.

NASA/AP

Funky Cups Allow Astronauts to Sip Espresso in Space

Astronauts can now experience the sweet smell of coffee in space.

Todd W. Schneider

Where Taxis Pick Up and Drop Off in NYC

Taxis pick up in Manhattan, but they drop off everywhere.

FontReach

This Tool Lets You Search the Internet by Font

See where your favorite fonts rank.

ANIMORPHIA, Amazon

10 Intricate Adult Coloring Books to Help You De-Stress

Coloring can be a great way to relieve stress after a long day.

Amazon

14 Confessions of a Book Cover Designer

Art director Keith Hayes knows we're all guilty of judging a book by its cover.

The Coca-Cola Company

The Story Behind the Iconic Coca-Cola Bottle

How a major marketing problem ushered in a legendary design.

Sean Hobson, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

Experts Explain How IKEA Instruction Manuals Are Designed

Go behind-the-scenes to learn how the often frustrating manuals are designed.

Chaouat & Vrielink via Vimeo

This Building Acts as Its Own Air Conditioner

No electricity will be needed to cool this Amsterdam hotel.

HQ Architects via Vimeo

These Flower Street Lamps ‘Bloom’ When You Approach Them

This Jerusalem art installation aims to make the city a brighter place.

Rob Culpepper

12 Moments in the History of the Solo Jazz Cup

You've seen it a million times, but did you ever wonder why? Here's how this beloved little cup came to be.

Pop Chart Lab

Every Bird Species in North America in a Single Poster

Pop Chart Lab's latest poster is an exhaustive piece of aviary art.

Penda via Facebook

The Plan to Build a Sustainable City From Bamboo

This design could be used to house an urban community of over 200,000.