Bad and irritating designs
Discussion
It is frustrating when things are designed without thought about potential problems for users. Especially when there were better and simpler alternatives.
A simple example. The cook in the bag chicken I get from Waitrose. The cooking instructions are on the packaging underneath the tray that holds the chicken. So either you have to turn the chicken upside down (so it and the juices fall out the tray) or you have to hold the chicken above your head so you can read the instructions. Didn’t it occur to anyone that it might be better to print the instructions on the top?
Maybe they thought that no one reads the instructions anyway so what does it matter!
Other design failures that annoy: teapots that won’t pour tea without spilling tea everywhere, except the cup you are aiming for!
A simple example. The cook in the bag chicken I get from Waitrose. The cooking instructions are on the packaging underneath the tray that holds the chicken. So either you have to turn the chicken upside down (so it and the juices fall out the tray) or you have to hold the chicken above your head so you can read the instructions. Didn’t it occur to anyone that it might be better to print the instructions on the top?
Maybe they thought that no one reads the instructions anyway so what does it matter!
Other design failures that annoy: teapots that won’t pour tea without spilling tea everywhere, except the cup you are aiming for!
Design! /on my soapbox/
Design is now unfortunately associated with how something looks. But, the practise of design is and should always be centred around the needs of the user and how it performs. Sadly, it’s very obvious that many objects haven’t really been designed, they are merely created by companies who don’t understand or value design. Good design should also not cost any more, but many companies seem to use it as a ‘marketing term’ to justify a higher price tag. Designer lights, designer handbags, designer cookware etc.
It really frustrates me (as a car/product designer!) that we still live in the world where there is so much crap, and useless stuff. We all have countless items relegated to our drawers that just perform really badly or are very badly thought through. The OP’s example just highlights this.
Ok, off my soapbox now….
Design is now unfortunately associated with how something looks. But, the practise of design is and should always be centred around the needs of the user and how it performs. Sadly, it’s very obvious that many objects haven’t really been designed, they are merely created by companies who don’t understand or value design. Good design should also not cost any more, but many companies seem to use it as a ‘marketing term’ to justify a higher price tag. Designer lights, designer handbags, designer cookware etc.
It really frustrates me (as a car/product designer!) that we still live in the world where there is so much crap, and useless stuff. We all have countless items relegated to our drawers that just perform really badly or are very badly thought through. The OP’s example just highlights this.
Ok, off my soapbox now….
thepritch said:
Design! /on my soapbox/
Design is now unfortunately associated with how something looks. But, the practise of design is and should always be centred around the needs of the user and how it performs. Sadly, it’s very obvious that many objects haven’t really been designed, they are merely created by companies who don’t understand or value design. Good design should also not cost any more, but many companies seem to use it as a ‘marketing term’ to justify a higher price tag. Designer lights, designer handbags, designer cookware etc.
It really frustrates me (as a car/product designer!) that we still live in the world where there is so much crap, and useless stuff. We all have countless items relegated to our drawers that just perform really badly or are very badly thought through. The OP’s example just highlights this.
Ok, off my soapbox now…
As a car designer where do you stand on touchscreens? Why has your industry abandoned manual controls for a much less user friendly (& often more dangerous) alternative?Design is now unfortunately associated with how something looks. But, the practise of design is and should always be centred around the needs of the user and how it performs. Sadly, it’s very obvious that many objects haven’t really been designed, they are merely created by companies who don’t understand or value design. Good design should also not cost any more, but many companies seem to use it as a ‘marketing term’ to justify a higher price tag. Designer lights, designer handbags, designer cookware etc.
It really frustrates me (as a car/product designer!) that we still live in the world where there is so much crap, and useless stuff. We all have countless items relegated to our drawers that just perform really badly or are very badly thought through. The OP’s example just highlights this.
Ok, off my soapbox now…
I always thought timing marks on engines were really badly designed. For such a crucial reference point they are either insignificant notches or really hard to find.
My cafetiere (or French press as the youth are probably calling them) has a notch in the lid to allow a quicker pour - there is nothing marked on the top of the lid to let you know how to align the lid with the notch so you end up holding the whole thing in the air whilst turning the lid trying to spot it.
My cafetiere (or French press as the youth are probably calling them) has a notch in the lid to allow a quicker pour - there is nothing marked on the top of the lid to let you know how to align the lid with the notch so you end up holding the whole thing in the air whilst turning the lid trying to spot it.
Mr Pointy said:
As a car designer where do you stand on touchscreens? Why has your industry abandoned manual controls for a much less user friendly (& often more dangerous) alternative?
I simply hate them as much as you do! I sadly cannot defend. (Speaking for myself of course)In car design there are many parties with an interest in the final product. Product planners, marketing, finance, engineering etc all contribute to provide a brief, and must haves and sadly screens are often a must have.
We have argued for more analogue controls with various clients but our challenges always fell on deaf ears. I’ve suspect there are many benefits to touchscreens for the OEM (cost, options, updates etc) and designing and manufacturing new physical buttons is lengthy and costly - that’s why switchgear is often borrowed from car to car. So turning against the trend of screens is very difficult despite many customers really not liking them.
Johnson897210 said:
AndyAudi said:
Bottle lids that remain connected to the bottles…
Was it a really needed change?
Such an inconvenience to users
These are an absolute pain, I usually try to rip them off which then results in the liquid spilling everywhere. Fking moronic eco lunacy.Was it a really needed change?
Such an inconvenience to users
I agree with the cook in the bag chicken, nearly all of M&S food that comes in a pack has the cooking instructions under the inside of the label so you can’t read how long something takes to cook until you’ve opened it
Of course that’s fine until I recently had some pork belly to cook, opened the pack, 2 and a half hours to cook, this was at 7:30pm
I don’t like leaving open packs in the fridge
Of course that’s fine until I recently had some pork belly to cook, opened the pack, 2 and a half hours to cook, this was at 7:30pm
I don’t like leaving open packs in the fridge
I am still trying to come to terms with my new Toyota Yaris, a car packed with electronic devices that bing and bong their disapproval of every manoeuvre, links (often unsuccesfully) with my wife’s phone to provide navigational information, and has a very clever hybrid power system to propel me efficiently and economically on every journey. It even phoned my wife the other night to tell her she left the doors unlocked.
Yet, when opening the boot the manufacturers can think of nothing more sophisticated than a couple of bits of string to lift the parcel shelf out of the way.
Yet, when opening the boot the manufacturers can think of nothing more sophisticated than a couple of bits of string to lift the parcel shelf out of the way.
Skeptisk said:
It is frustrating when things are designed without thought about potential problems for users. Especially when there were better and simpler alternatives.
A simple example. The cook in the bag chicken I get from Waitrose. The cooking instructions are on the packaging underneath the tray that holds the chicken. So either you have to turn the chicken upside down (so it and the juices fall out the tray) or you have to hold the chicken above your head so you can read the instructions. Didn’t it occur to anyone that it might be better to print the instructions on the top?
Maybe they thought that no one reads the instructions anyway so what does it matter!
Other design failures that annoy: teapots that won’t pour tea without spilling tea everywhere, except the cup you are aiming for!
Many years ago Anglia TV used to have brief news segments on left field degree subjects taken at Cambridge university. One stuck my mind as the student had studied fluid dynamics and came to the conclusion that you can't pour tea from a teapot without it dripping. A simple example. The cook in the bag chicken I get from Waitrose. The cooking instructions are on the packaging underneath the tray that holds the chicken. So either you have to turn the chicken upside down (so it and the juices fall out the tray) or you have to hold the chicken above your head so you can read the instructions. Didn’t it occur to anyone that it might be better to print the instructions on the top?
Maybe they thought that no one reads the instructions anyway so what does it matter!
Other design failures that annoy: teapots that won’t pour tea without spilling tea everywhere, except the cup you are aiming for!
The new way that wrapping paper is packaged with 'peel me off' bands around the roll of paper. Wrapping a few presents yesterday and none of the 'peelable' strips would... peel.
Ended up losing the first 8" or so of the paper as I had to rip the strips off.
Just looked it up, and the photo doesn't show the strips. The reviews are exactly in line with my experience though.
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/multi-spot-...
Ended up losing the first 8" or so of the paper as I had to rip the strips off.
Just looked it up, and the photo doesn't show the strips. The reviews are exactly in line with my experience though.
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/multi-spot-...
Roofless Toothless said:
I am still trying to come to terms with my new Toyota Yaris, a car packed with electronic devices that bing and bong their disapproval of every manoeuvre, links (often unsuccesfully) with my wife’s phone to provide navigational information, and has a very clever hybrid power system to propel me efficiently and economically on every journey. It even phoned my wife the other night to tell her she left the doors unlocked.
Yet, when opening the boot the manufacturers can think of nothing more sophisticated than a couple of bits of string to lift the parcel shelf out of the way.
Thats the best and simplest way. You wouldn't want them to design a mechanical / electronic solution, would you? Just something else to go wrong.Yet, when opening the boot the manufacturers can think of nothing more sophisticated than a couple of bits of string to lift the parcel shelf out of the way.
AndyAudi said:
Bottle lids that remain connected to the bottles…
Was it a really needed change?
Such an inconvenience to users
I was about to state the very same thing! The cap is so shallow that there's almost nothing to get hold of to turn the almost un-turnable, and it always seems to flop in the way when you're pouring. I cut the tether so that the cap is free, but that leaved sharp little tags. Grrr!Was it a really needed change?
Such an inconvenience to users
A pox on the EU Directive that spawned this bastorial horror!
Colonel Cupcake said:
Roofless Toothless said:
I am still trying to come to terms with my new Toyota Yaris, a car packed with electronic devices that bing and bong their disapproval of every manoeuvre, links (often unsuccesfully) with my wife’s phone to provide navigational information, and has a very clever hybrid power system to propel me efficiently and economically on every journey. It even phoned my wife the other night to tell her she left the doors unlocked.
Yet, when opening the boot the manufacturers can think of nothing more sophisticated than a couple of bits of string to lift the parcel shelf out of the way.
Thats the best and simplest way. You wouldn't want them to design a mechanical / electronic solution, would you? Just something else to go wrong.Yet, when opening the boot the manufacturers can think of nothing more sophisticated than a couple of bits of string to lift the parcel shelf out of the way.
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