Dark chocolate is very serious business. That’s why this ad for Bournville dark chocolate, which takes aim at dark chocolate snobbery, is so funny.

This one is so intense. It comes with a list of side effects.

Mine comes with a therapist.

To the uneducated palette, this tastes like burnt tire.

This one captures bitterness, astringency, and resentfulness. The taste is so grown up.

Oh, mine’s massively grown up.

This is only available under the counter of a pet store with no address.

This sugar was used by the Aztecs as currency.

Some believe this one’s haunted.

Mine’s flammable.

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Modern sewing machines may be portable, but they all require elecricity. Anytime you use one, you're either near a wall or you're creating a trip hazard.

British designer Dom Johnson has changed that up with this Caddy, a mobile sewing station.

"Constructed from 15mm birch ply and powered by a 1000W power station, it features 12+ hours of wireless sewing as well as a fully modular pegboard system that can be configured in hundreds of different ways."

I think the idea is neat, but I'd like to see a version where the part holding the storage boxes somehow swings out of the way, providing knee room.

Johnson designed and built the cart in collaboration with Greater Goods.

If you are into convenient package price holidays to relax on a deck chair by the pool, this might not be the place for you. The Mashpi Lodge in the Chocó-Darién rainforest in Ecuador, a 3-to-4-hour bumpy drive from Quito (depending on the rain and roads) is a place for adventure, education, and full immersion into the primary rainforest.

Photo by Anki Delfmann

Built on 2,500 hectares of land purchased from loggers and gold miners in 2001 by Roque Sevilla – a former mayor of Quito and conservation visionary – and the Grupo Futuro, the primary goal has always been to conserve this unique biodiversity hotspot, and to work with scientists and local communities to keep it that way for the future. It wasn't until 2012 that the stunning, glass-fronted, Roberto Burneo designed 5 star lodge was opened on the unlikely site of a former sawmill, without a single tree being cut down.

Photo by Anki Delfmann

So why is this relevant for designers? Apart from the obvious local design challenge here to create something new without impacting the natural environment, it comes with the systemic challenge of engaging local communities that used to live off industries that destroy the rainforest, together with scientific conservation and research requirements, and the need to cater to tourists that pay for a 5 star hotel experience. So rather than designing a hotel, the task was to design a system that enables all of the above.

Mashpi Lodge does a stellar job of bringing it all together: The expedition guides are mostly from the area, combining inherent local knowledge with scientific education that is paid for by the lodge. The hotel's own conservation research station is financed by hotel revenue, and enthusiastic guests often co-finance projects.

So how did they build a user experience that makes hotel guests so engaged? They designed a fully vertical and 24 hour immersion into the rainforest.

Let's break it down by altitude:

Canopy level (60-20 meters)

Let's start with the loftiest, and one of the most spectacular experiences: The Sky Bike

The Sky Bike at Mashpi Lodge. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to fly like a barred hawk: Built like a tandem bike on a cable, guests pedal themselves silently above and through the canopy of the rainforest, up to 60 meters above the ground. The sky bike is situated at the spot where the rainforest becomes the cloud forest, so spectacular views with clouds lingering below are guaranteed. It's the closest you can feel to flying without actually taking off.

Trunk level (20-4 meters)

The Dragonfly at Mashpi Lodge. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to lazily travel through the trees like a sloth: The Dragonfly is similar to the sky bike, but there's a motor, so you don't have to pedal yourself. And talking about lazy: it's also quite likely you will spot a sloth and many rare birds along the way.

The Chocó rainforest at night from below. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to dive into the foliage: At any time of the day, but especially during night walks, guests are always encouraged to look up. The rainforest flora is simply spectacular, and offers a whole new colour scheme when lit up by a headlamp against the black of the night.

The terrace at Mashpi Lodge. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to fall from my bed directly into jungle immersion: The hotel terrace is built at the perfect height for forest and bird watching. You can even see Toucans in the early mornings.

Human level (4-1 meters)

The research lab. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to know more about the science: Every day, there are lectures about the local wildlife. There is also a fully equipped research station that guests can visit and dive deeper into any scientific topic.

3D physical map in the lobby. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to know where I am: a 3D model of the reserve in the hotel lobby helps guests to orient themselves and retrace their adventures with their fingertips. (There is no phone reception on the rainforest expeditions).

Locally inspired haute cuisine. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to taste the local food: The kitchen creates truly local dishes, refined for 5 star expectations. You can look forward to local wild garlic, chillangua, palm hearts, peanuts and other organic ingredients.

Expert guide Estuardo. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to connect with local people: You'll likely have to, as most of the staff and expedition guides are from the area. You can learn all the Latin, Spanish and English names of all the creatures and plants around you, and their significance and role in the ecosystem. You might also learn that your guide is the first one in their family to learn a foreign language, or go to school at all, and that during their lifetime the village completely changed their approach to how to live from and with the rainforest.

Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to get down and dirty: The river walk is one of the most immersive and unique experiences. Walking sticks and rubber boots are provided by the lodge, and very necessary: you will get wet as you walk through rapids and depths, with a slightly precarious but otherwise unachievable and magical point of view.

Photo by Anki Delfmann

I can't walk that well but want to see the rainforest: You can't do steep and muddy jungle walks? No problem, there's a lift built into the thicket right by the hotel to make things accessible for almost everyone.

Ground level (1-0 meters)

Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to walk through the mud: The walkways through the muddy and rainy jungle are secured by repurposed bottle crates. Organic materials would either deteriorate too fast in jungle conditions, or be tricky to source or install. The crates ensure a sturdy walk even when it rains a lot, they were freely and cheaply available when the project started. Any shards or broken crates are picked up by guides and guests alike, and this has become somewhat of a gamified activity during expeditions.

Tarantula saying hello. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to see the danger of the jungle: The guides constantly encourage guests to look down. Sometimes it really pays off, like when there's a big tarantula waiting by the toilets.

A frog at night. Photo by Anki Delfmann

The illusive Mashpi glass frog, a fascinating creature with transparent skin. Photo by Anki Delfmann

I want to see something incredibly rare and unique: If guests haven't caught the rainforest fever yet, they probably will when 4 expedition guides climb through thick foliage over a river in the darkest rainy night to find the pièce de resistance: The Mashpi glass frog, one of the 20 endemic species that were discovered, described and protected here... because someone once designed and built a 5 star hotel in a very unlikely place.

See a video of the experience

Watch the Mashpi Lodge Design Postcard to get a more immersive feeling of the Ecuadorian rainforest.

Brothers Tavish and Breton Rice shared an unfortunate experience: Watching their father, who suffers from a neurological condition, struggle with the vessels containing his numerous medications. "We watched our father go through every issue imaginable with his pill containers," they write. "Breaking, spilling, accidentally opening--constantly. Handling a flimsy plastic pill box is already a hassle, and even more so when your hands aren't working very well due to his disease.

"We tried every pill case we could find. Unfortunately, none worked for him."

The Rice brothers then set about producing a better pill case, and launched Ikigai Cases.

The company produces sturdy, minimalist, anodized aluminum cases with a spring-loaded ball mechanism that keeps the lid securely closed; pressing down on the textured part of the lid allows you to slide it open. Furthermore, hidden detents make it so the lid clicks open at each pocket. " This makes it super easy to dump single pockets out while holding the case with just one hand," they explain.

They also offer engraving.

The cases come in multiple sizes, and draw rave reviews from owners. They come with a lifetime warranty, and have a 100-day return policy—even for the engraved cases.

Simply put, "We make the best pill cases in the world," they write.