We interact with design every day without even thinking about it. Whether it’s the piece of furniture you bought from IKEA or the public bench overlooking the city from below, these supposedly well-designed pieces make our lives more convenient.
But there’s a special kind of frustration that comes with encountering something that is so poorly thought out. Even if you don’t think you have keen attention to detail, these laughable flaws will stand out like a flamingo in a flock of pigeons.
Here are some examples, courtesy of this subreddit, which can make you wonder whether the person who gave the green light used even a little common sense.
#1 The Placement Of This Baby’s Head Wasn’t Quite Thought Through
Image source: ninimalini
#2 Not Exactly The Color Pattern You Like To See In A Bathroom
Image source: bergerNfries
#3 My Mom Bought A Strawberry Scented Minion Shampoo For My Little Brother
Image source: AWildMagikarp5
Some may argue that a few design “fails” featured on this list aren’t all bad. After all, imperfect work can have its own appeal. So what makes a design bad? Is it all aesthetics?
Researcher and Nielsen Norman Group co-founder Jakob Nielsen says it all boils down to one key factor: usability. He explains that it “makes designs easy, efficient, and satisfying to use.”
#4 Almost Drank From This Bottle Of Wood Polish Disguised As A Water Bottle
Image source: puta_blyat
#5 These Blocks That Should Say “Fall” But Definitely Say “Fail”
Image source: Thin-Film9080
#6 I Received The Most Useless Item Ever At A Golf Tournament
Image source: [deleted]
But what exactly is usability? Nielsen defines it as a quality attribute defined by five quality components: learnability (how easy it is for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time), efficiency (how quickly users can perform tasks), memorability (how easy it is for a user to establish proficiency after a period of not using it), errors (the number of mistakes users make and how severe they are), and satisfaction (this is self-explanatory).
Nielsen also pointed out another key factor alongside usability: utility. And it should answer one important question: “Does it do what users need?”
#7 Thanks For The Advice
Image source: zapsquad
#8 I Almost Gagged When I Opened The Cabinet In My Bnb. Turns Out It Was Just The Design
Image source: barebasem
#9 Got This As A Gift And Honestly I Don’t Want To Throw It Away Just Because It’s Terribly Funny
Image source: AmberedVal
But the bigger question is: why are companies producing badly designed products in the first place? According to an article by author and speaker Scott Berkun, one possible reason is that universities treat technology and design as separate subjects.
“Absent from required classes, then or today, are the interdisciplinary insights that are essential to designing good things for people. Instead, students are taught to build things that function technically but not humanely,” wrote Berkun, who studied computer science at Carnegie Mellon University.
#10 The Buttons To Change Temp On My Fridge
Image source: MrNobodyX3
#11 Are These Boxes The Wrong Way Up?
Image source: C-Langay
#12 This Sidewalk Looks Blurry. Makes Me A Little Dizzy. I Keep Blinking, Trying To Clear My Eyes Looking At This
Image source: Zu_Qarnine
Berkun also pointed out that engineers and designers tend to assume that what works for them will also work for everyone else. He says the damaging effect of thinking “what’s good for me is good for all” runs deep in society.
“Without expert help, we are all prone to forgetting that a design that’s intuitive to us can simultaneously be confusing to others,” Berkun explained.
#13 This Awful Bread Packaging Design, Which Looks Exactly Like Mould
Image source: CrappyDesign
#14 Handy
Image source: rosseepoo
#15 Menu Only Available Through Reflective Qr Code
Image source: Professional_Shine97
According to Berkun, the onus of becoming more educated about good design shouldn’t fall solely on designers. He says this applies to everyone, from consumers to business leaders.
“This is often as simple as valuing design experts enough to listen to them at the start of projects when the important decisions are made, rather than at the end when their advice will be far too late,” Berkun said.
#16 How Is This Supposed To Work??
Image source: kangaroonicorn
#17 This Elevator Button Panel
Image source: iancurtis
#18 They Tried /: [xpost From R/Gaming]
Image source: HeyWazowski
Not all of us are design experts, but we all know good design should make our lives easier. But as these examples show, not every designer seems to get that memo. Sometimes, there is nothing left to do but laugh it off and accept it as a fact of life.
Which of these photos confused you the most? And have you ever encountered a design that made you wonder whether common sense was involved? Let us know in the comments!
#19 Maybe Don’t Put It Next To A Trash Can Shaped Exactly Like It?
Image source: echocage
#20 Tonix Sounds Like A Soft Drink Though
Image source: [deleted]
#21 Stop
Image source: [deleted]
#22 Opening The Box With The Pull Tab Destroys Both Heating Instructions And Customer Service Contact Number
Image source: Wondertrust
#23 An Apartment In London That Has No Front Door. Just A Set Of Stairs Leading Up To A Window
Image source: Lord-Crimble
#24 This Weird Door At The Top Of The Stairs In A Weird Hotel
Image source: AlephMartian
#25 Idk How To Feel About This
Image source: killianbones
#26 Poor Designing
Image source: businessbub
#27 Terrible Design For A Hand Gel I Got As A Freebie From A Rep
Image source: PendragonVc
#28 Design Fail?
Image source: TJS_Art
#29 Men’s Restroom Sign Error
Image source: DistributionSad960
#30 A Bathroom In An Apartment For Rent In Arizona. Good Luck Not Injuring Yourself Every Day On Those Rocky Walls
Image source: StrainBeginning4670
#31 Bike Lanes In Menorca/Spain
Image source: raphaelpor
#32 Dunno About Having Fire As A Petrol/Gas Station Mascot…
Image source: Bright-Fold-3317
#33 Probably Should Have Put The Author’s Name Somewhere Else
Image source: imgur
#34 Who Thought Up This Design?
Image source: davetsteele
#35 Trapped On The Elevator
Image source: imgur
#36 Take A Left And Then Bunnyhop To Your Destination
Image source: [deleted]
#37 Jedi Entrance Only
Image source: tarheels86
#38 White Rights
Image source: [deleted]
#39 IKEA Fail
Image source: imgur
#40 My Grandparent’s Carpeted Bathroom
Image source: Iamwallpaper
#41 As Opposed To The Sign Which Is Located In New Mexico
Image source: man-with-potato-gun
#42 There Is Only One Elevator Call Button In This Photo, The Rest Are Just Design Motifs
Image source: labtec901
#43 Kids Lingerie 🤔 Not A Good Design
Image source: slysam69
#44 Hard To Read Door Text
Image source: OkWing6527
#45 Sienc Or Sciesnce
Image source: MicromonicsTTV
#46 Stairway To Heck
Image source: Catalina_whine_fixer
#47 This Horrible Bathroom I Saw At A Burger King In Oregon
Image source: Available-Week5218
#48 Do The Children Lay On The Road?
Image source: thebob619
#49 Westminster Bridge Design Fail Or Win?
Image source: Olly Denton
#50 That Nose Job
Image source: AffluentWeevil1
#51 This Wedding Card Looks Like The Bride & Groom Hung Themselves
Image source: monkey314
#52 No Safety
#53 Vote For Yves Lévesque, Official Facefolding Candidate
Image source: elspandex
#54 Seems Like An Appropriate Jersey For This Sub . .
Image source: chonnes
#55 German School
Image source: imgur
#56 All Toilets Must Be Centered In The Middle Of The Classroom So Kids Eating Their Snacks Three Feet Away Can Bare Witness To Their Classmates On The Toilet
Image source: JKastnerPhoto
#57 Apparently The Tea Helps You Loose Weight, The Picture And Name Must Be How You Loose It
Image source: imgur
#58 A Bolton Fan Paid £25 For This Seat In The Away End At Blackpool
Image source: LukasJ
#59 This Outlet Is Unreachable
Image source: punkrockextravaganza
#60 Optical Illusion
Image source: Mattster092
#61 “Am I Swirls Or… More Swirls?”
Image source: KarmaCatalyst
#62 Worst. Table. Ever. Set Down Your Drink On That Side, It Ends Up On The Floor!
Image source: imgur
#63 Yea, Right On Top Of Each Other Should Work
Image source: chiliwhip
#64 This Bathroom Stall At The Gym
Was at the gym looking for my buddy and walked in the restroom to see this. Said nothing and sent him this pic and we laughed for about 20 minutes lmao workout was trash because I couldn’t stop laughing
Image source: Savings-Split5821
#65 Don’t Stand Under It
Image source: Lepke2011
#66 Why You Don’t Put Christmas Lights On Palm Trees
Image source: misnamed
#67 Kind Of A Crappy Design If You Ask Me
Image source: i_like_miniwheats
#68 Merry Christmas!
#69 Yes, Ew
Image source: Mytheetharedead
#70 Hmmm
Image source: johnprdoe
#71 These Earphones Were Made With One Of The Earpieces Swapped With The Input Jack
Image source: TehSamster
#72 Seriously?
Image source: GallowBoob
#73 Open 9 Days A Week
Image source: JuantSomDik
#74 Can We Just Sit Down And Talk About It?
Image source: PaulSharke
#75 High School Bathrooms Are Already Wild Enough
Image source: willyone225
#76 A Very Easy To Read Graph About Texting While Driving? Found In My High School Yearbook
Image source: Buddhacream
#77 This Door Will Never Be Opened. Found In An Austrian Spa
Image source: Sarkasmus-detektor
#78 Don’t Think The Owner Of This Hotel Thought This Through
Image source: imgur
#79 Bad Product Design
Image source: CatOnDesk
#80 Badly Designed Bathroom Stall Doors
Image source: The-Servant-Humbled
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