25+ Kickstarter projects you won’t want to miss

All creatives have great ideas, it’s what we live for; that moment of inspiration at 4am that sees you leaping from bed and rushing to your desk is the excitement that makes life worthwhile.

Sadly, by the cold light of day, the idea that seemed so revolutionary in the early hours, rarely holds the same appeal. Do you really want to quit your job and travel round lapland photographing reindeer? Do you really want give up your day job to manufacture iPhone cases shaped like beagles? By the time we’ve showered, grabbed a coffee and headed out the door the idea has been consigned to the back of a sketchbook, usually for good.

Of course, sometimes an idea won’t let go of you, and this collection of Kickstarter projects just shows what we can do if we commit to making the dream a reality.

Some of these ideas will inspire you, some might even make you want to kick in a buck or two. Personally, I’m just glad there are people out there with the perseverance to get this far.

Macaw

Macaw is, in the developers’ words, a next generation web design tool. If you’re sick of the Adobe subscription charges maybe this one’s for you.

Iconic: Advanced icons for the modern web

Looking for a good icon set? You’d have to go a long way to beat Iconic. Help them turn this project into a commercial venture and you can get the full set of over 200 icons at 50% off, bargain!

REZA lemonade lamp

Looking for a way to brighten your desktop? Then this minimal Lemonade Lamp could be just the ticket. For around $207 you’ll get a metal and oak frame lamp with a choice of cord; but I’m seriously considering the $304 for the copper and walnut edition, exclusive to Kickstarter funders.

Glyphs & Co.

Struggle with grammar, or with punctuation? Even the most visual designers have to write copy sometimes. Alphonso Jordan’s goal is to help with his swiss army knife for grammar.

Baltimore: A history, block by block

Kickstarter is filled with photographic projects. But if you’re feeling philanthropic, this is a great one to support. James Singwald is documenting streets in Baltimore and this is an incredible record of a great America city as it changes. Look closely and you might see McNulty in one of those photos.

A night of graphic design straight talk with Aaron Draplin

If you’re in or near Fort Wayne, Indiana then you want to jump on this. On Novemeber 14th Aaron Draplin will be delivering a lecture on graphic design. With clients including the Obama administration, Nike, Adobe and Wired magazine, he’s someone worth listening to.

Nock Co. pen cases hand made in the USA

Sometimes we all need to step away from the screen and work on paper, but where’s that pen you like to draw with? It could be in one of these cool hard-wearing pen cases if you back this project.

Helvetica, objectified, urbanized: The complete interviews

Love Helvetica? Then this project is for you. A collection of designers being interviewed about one of the world’s most popular fonts.

ProTravel carry-on

A backpack that packs like a suitcase. Perfect for your morning commute and sure to keep your camera, laptop and other precious possessions safe.

Passive aggressive notepads

Idiotic co-workers making a mess of the office? Maybe you need a passive aggressive notepad.

Spool dock

An elegant solution to too many cables, the Spool Dock is a beautifully simple idea that would look good realized on any desk.

The Brooklyn bridge in letterpress type

Who doesn’t love letterpress? If you’ve got a blank space on your office wall then a letterpress poster of the iconic Brooklyn bridge designed entirely in type, is the perfect way to fill it.

Timbre: redefining the desktop speaker

With audio design becoming and increasingly important, you’re going to want to make sure that you have some great speakers to work with. This innovative design not only sounds great, it looks great too.

360 panoramic photography

Every once in a while an idea of unadulterated genius is delivered unto us. This is one such idea. Use the panoramic software on your camera phone? Absolutely not, what you need is a curved mirror. Brilliant.

The tastiest cord solution

If you’re anything like me, the top drawer of your desk is overflowing with cables of all kinds. This tasty solution is the perfect way to solve the problem. Why is it tasty? All of the solutions are named after Mexican food, delicious!

TrailPix ultralight tripod

Weighing less than an iPhone, this fantastic tripod solution is ideal for securing your camera in the great outdoors, helping you get those pictures you would otherwise miss.

Colourful: A letterpress desk calendar

More letterpress, this time a lovely calendar for 2014, perfect as a Christmas gift (it’s closer than you think), or just to keep on your desk for next year.

Photoshop for illustrators and designers

Looking to master Photoshop? Then look no further than this video course by Michael Cameneti, a tutor at Santa Monica college.

The digital tint book

Looking for an alternative to those expensive Pantone color references? Check out this great project aiming to catalogue 20,736 tints.

The artiest iPhone cases

There are iPhone cases on every shopping mall, but very few are as attractive as these gems by Lauren Simkin Berke.

SideCar: Laptop to tablet connector

This ingenious design allows you to position a tablet alongside a laptop screen for dual-screen productivity.

AppsAmuck: 30 online iPhone app lessons

Maybe you’re looking to move into iOS development, and if you are, there’s no better way to learn than by example. This series of videos will give you a flying start.

Polar pen

Another ingenious device, this pen is made from 10 separate magnetic parts, providing an incredible set of options.

Beastgrip, universal lens adapter for camera phones

Beastgrip is a sensational adapter that allows you to add real quality lenses directly to your camera phone, turning it into a professional photo solution.

The MultiMod Consoles

MultiMod Consoles are the ideal solution for anyone struggling to keep their desk organized. This great scaffolding will handle just about any setup.

Shadow

Of course, maybe your problem isn’t acting on your dreams, maybe you have the vision and the determination; the problem is that you don’t remember those ideas when you wake. If so, then you’ll want to back Shadow, and maybe your ideas will be up on Kickstarter next.

Will you think about backing any of these projects? Do you have your own Kickstarter project in the works? Let us know in the comments.

WDD Staff

WDD staff are proud to be able to bring you this daily blog about web design and development. If there's something you think we should be talking about let us know @DesignerDepot.