When you think about design, you usually imagine advertising or maybe designing the layouts for websites, magazines, or books.
But design is all around us, from the layout of our streets to the chair you’re sitting on or the coffee mug you’re holding. And frankly, a lot of that design really, really sucks.
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1. For example, putting the flight attendant call button on the armrest is not good design.
It’s way too easy to press the button by accident. If I worked on a plane with these, I would go mad from all the false calls.
2. The cover designer for this National Geographic about the overuse of plastics is good design; the choice to distribute it in two layers of plastic is not.
This is pretty dependant on your location. In some places, magazines are wrapped in paper or not wrapped at all. In this case, though, some extra thought was needed.
3. I hope there’s nothing important behind this door.
I guess a small mercy is that the door opens inward, so you can still get in if you absolutely need to. Still, someone needs to talk to the person in charge of this choice and also with those who installed the rail without questioning it.
4. These are not both bathroom doors.
The left one is the ladies’ room, but the other is actually an emergency exit. The sign indicates that the mens’ room is down the hall, but I’m positive this place deals with the alarm going off constantly due to the lack of clarity.
5. Oh, you expect privacy in a bathroom stall? My bad.
Like, why even bother with stalls in the first place? It’s just a waste of money if you can see through them!
6. Design fails also happen with software.
Glitches happen, but when they do, the explanation and the steps to fix it should at least be understandable. This is not.
7. Well, this charging plug and cable are almost completely useless.
I’m pretty sure that the outlets in my house are too high to even set a device on the floor in front of them. Like, the cord is still too short.
8. Most of this PSA is fine, but that bunny at the bottom seems confused.
Is he for or against animal testing? It really seems like he’s responding to the message of the PSA negatively.
9. Printed leggings are fashionable right now, but designers really need to be careful about what colors are where.
Every woman wants a big red spot over their crotch, right ? Ugh.
10. As a short woman, many counters and sinks are slightly too tall for me, but this is just ridiculous!
A basketball player would probably find this sink hard to reach. Who thought this was a good idea?
11. Built in cupholders are a great feature, but this one has a serious flaw.
There’s more to a cupholder than just a circle cut into an armrest. It kind of needs something for the beverage to rest on, otherwise it’s just going to fall right through.
12. Want to turn this fan off? Hope you’re not fond of your fingers.
Thankfully, this fan seems pretty flimsy, so you’re unlikely to lose a digit reaching for the switch, but this is still a pretty terrible design choice.
13. The fail here isn’t so much that the close button was fake, but that they hid it so poorly.
It’s not really surprising that the button doesn’t do anything, but they really should have glued the fake button on there better.
14. Who’s responsible for this?!
How did this slide ever end up in use? It doesn’t even have a proper mat underneath to protect feet and ankles from the drop! Lawsuits incoming!
15. The layout of these numbers is maddening.
My brain feels all twisted up while trying to make sense of the order you need to read the numbers in. It’s just baffling.
16. Yellow is my favorite color and normally I’d be all for a bright, fun awning like this in the summer.
But not over a pool. No one wants to swim in a yellow-tinged kiddie pool.
17. Someone thought they were really clever when they designed this mural.
I mean, the idea of having Superman look like he’s holding up an item on the wall is a good one, but maybe not the water fountain…
18. I hope you’re not into pooping privacy.
The narrow glass wall just makes it worse, really. The toilet paper roll could hang on the back wall. Is that a bit more awkward to grab? Sure, but what about this isn’t awkward?
19. Well, this seems like an accident just waiting to happen.
I mean, I wouldn’t want to remove such a beautiful old tree either, but maybe don’t build your bike path directly through it? Detour around it!
20. At first, these bathroom stalls seem okay — they even have decently narrow door gaps.
Except that this pic is of the outside of the stalls, meaning that you have to hang your purse or other valuables outside where anyone could snatch them.
21. That building is leaving money on the table.
Like, you’re right across the road from a beach! Why are there no windows on that side of the building? You could charge extra for the view!
22. When home team advantage means not having to run uphill for a touchdown.
It seems like an easy fix, but that hill is probably holding up the path, so the school would also need to pay for a retaining wall.
23. Schrodinger’s door?
Can one both enter and not enter at the same time? Maybe it’s some sort of quantum door.
This is like the universal fetch conundrum in which a dog wants to fetch the toy they won’t give you. No take. Only throw.
24. It can be tough to add handicapped parking to a small lot, but this was not the way to do it.
Space six looks way too narrow to even use! Why not just combine it with space five? There’ll even be room for the ramp if you put it in the other side. Not ideal, but better than this!
