We have two products that are crowdfunding now that focus on functional design and a final product that takes an existing product and simply makes it better.
I must admit I love design. The simpler the better. So if you are a design junkie like I am – you should like these two crowdfunding campaigns as well.
Esington Glass is a creation by Rudy Marsh who declares on his pitch video that his creation has completely changed his life. Before Esington Glass he struggled to focus on projects. Setting defined periods of singular focus is a well known productivity tool. After the creation of his timer, he shares he has become a productivity driven machine, writing books and launching new companies. I don’t know how much of Rudy’s story of success is directly the result of Esington but I love the concept and love the design. Esington is a 25 minute, blown glass sand timer – except instead of sand, Rudy uses steel nano-spheres. This is something that anyone would love to have on their desk. This is a campaign that set out to raise $5000. Today it is cruising past $150,000 on Kickstarter. Pretty incredible. For $49 you can 
have an Esington Glass on your desk and perhaps you can improve your productivity. Better hurry though- this one closes in three days.
A Mechanical Pencil That Will Last You A Lifetime is the next project on the list. Designed by Andrew Sanderson in Austin, Texas, the title of the crowdfunding campaign pretty much explains it all. If you use mechanical pencils you will quickly get this project as most pencils are cheaply made and pretty much disposable. Sanderson has changed all this with a cool designed pencil that you cannot fault for its looks. This is a writing tool you will want to keep forever. If you decide to back this project on Kickstarter you have a choice of aircraft grade aluminum or solid brass. If you use a pencil everyday – perhaps you will purchase both. This is another campaign that is killing it.
Sanderson set a goal of raising $4000 to fund his project. Today over 1200 backers have contributed more than $108,000. For $60 a pencil that will last a lifetime can be yours. Expected ship date is this February so you shouldn’t have to wait long.
Melatonin is a hormone that is found naturally in both animals and plants. In animals it controls the night-day cycle and thus the “circadian rhythms” that are part of us all. Recently melatonin has been seen as a solution to the challenges of jet-lag – and some swear by the results. Creators of this project state that unlike taking a melatonin pill “Sprayable Sleep” mimics your body’s natural production. The pitch is convincing enough to have captured over 800 supporters. Funding for this campaign on Indiegogo is now over $74,000 – in just a few days. I recently purchased some melatonin pills for 
a forthcoming flight. Now I wish Sprayable Sleep was available instead. Perhaps we will see this soon at local drugstores. If you want it now $15 will give you plenty for a month. Delivery is scheduled for July 2015.
Esington Glass: The Ultimate Productivity Timer – Kickstarter
Resolve to be a better, more productive you in the New Year with the Esington Glass.
Each glass is filled with millions of solid steel nanospheres. These make the glasses unique and give them a wonderful visual effect as the spheres bounce chaotically around the glass. This also produces a wonderful white noise.
Each Esington Glass is hand blown from a single piece of glass making each vessel unique. They are then quality checked for finish and filled by hand for accurate timing.
A Mechanical Pencil That Will Last You A Lifetime – Kickstarter
A sleek, solid metal, American-made mechanical pencil that will last you a lifetime.
I’m a Mechanical Designer in Austin, Texas. I have always been obsessed with taking things apart to figure out how they work, so becoming a mechanical designer was a natural choice for me. Because I use a mechanical pencil everyday at work, I wanted to design one that didn’t reveal how it was put together or the different parts it was made of at first sight. With this design, you really have to investigate to find where the pencil breaks apart, the different pieces it is made of and how the parts are held together. This to me as a designer is as intriguing as the pencil itself.
Sprayable Sleep. Welcome to the Beginning of Tired – Indiegogo
A sleep aid you spray on your skin to fall asleep naturally and wake up refreshed.
Imagine if you could fall asleep at the push of a button. If you could stay asleep as long as you needed, and fall back asleep easily even if awoken in the middle of the night.
If you no longer had to worry about things like:
- Not being able to sleep due to stress or chronic pain
- Insomnia due to jet lag or sleeping in a hotel bed
- Getting to sleep early before an early morning (or late night) shift
- Or even a snoring partner?
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