Venn Diagram Menu: "Vennu?"

Venn Diagrams are already beloved by geeks, but I've always thought they deserved to a part of the general conceptual lexicon. So here's to Giddy Up Coffee in the UK for framing their grill menu as one! The logic is clean, the pricing is understandable, and the food sounds delicious.
[Cory Doctorow on BoingBoing, via Gizmodo]

Sheath Scissors cut knife-style without cutting fingers...

Scissors often get used as knives when they're the only blade readily available, and it's always... well, a little risky.  Quirky has a clever design fix: Sheath Scissors, which safely protect the other blade in the fully-open position. More cutting (of stuff) with less cutting (of fingers)!
[via Gizmodo]

Serendipitous feature: Google as a printer test page...

It wouldn't be quite right to call this a clever design - not on Google's part, at least - but it's certainly a brilliant improvisation. If you need to test your printer, just print the Google home page: the logo uses all the colors, the little bit of text uses black ink, and the whole thing is so sparse and white that it won't drain your ink cartridges. Thanks to Reddit user zackofalltrades for the idea, and Lifehacker for the image!

Unpleasant Design as Behavior Manipulation

The Unpleasant Design blog, run by Gordan Savicic and Selena Savic, hosts examples of how design can manipulate people and their behavior in public places, by making things they might want to do, well, unpleasant. It's a workable substitute for active enforcement (or fixing the core causes of some of these behaviors), and yields some interesting designs. Seen here are anti-skateboarding metal strips, anti-posting textured pole covers, and anti-bum-napping armrests on benches. There's plenty more on their blog, if you feel like slumming among the less desirable human behaviors!
[via Core77]

Pinch-to-zoom has been one(finger)-upped...

Since the advent of all-touch smartphones and tablets, pinch-to-zoom has been a hallmark of intuitive gestural interaction. And while it's intuitive, it's unfortunately not very convenient - it's awkward at best, and almost impossible to accomplish one-handed. The team at Google Maps must have realized this, and designed a one-finger zoom: double-tap anywhere on the map, and drag your finger up or down to zoom in or out. Those blue circles and arrows shown in this illustration aren't actually onscreen - as with all gestural interfaces, real estate is at a premium and visual clutter is a no-no, which leads some to call this feature a "secret." But Google appropriately assumes that users will be quick learners - especially when the benefits are so compelling!
[via Gizmodo]

Curtain Ring + Hook = "Branch"

If there's one company that specializes in "clever and useful," it's probably Quirky - and their Branch concept fits the bill. They're a successful mating between shower curtain rings and clothing hooks that make you wonder why they haven't already existed for decades. Now why didn't I think of that...?
[via Gizmodo]

Ketchup Presser - Faster fast food...

Having done a little fast-food-related design myself as a student, this concept caught my eye: the Ketchup Presser provides a clean (well, "clean") place to put your ketchup, as well as a clever way of getting it out of the pack. After tearing the pack open, you pull it through the slot to the side of the dipping area - and the ketchup is efficiently squeezed out, right in place. The concept is probably doomed by the margins of the fast food biz, where cost increases must be justified by demonstrable ROI - but still, not bad!
[via Gizmodo]