Bad Functional Design

[Tim_T-Bonham.net]

@RealityChuck

On a related topic, hotels these days have an area for the toilet and shower that is separated from the sink area by a door. Not a bad idea, but why is it that the light switch is always outside the shower area?

Because this is encouraged/required by the National Electric Code. And no doubt the liability insurance companies for hotels encourage it too.
It’s supposed to reduce the risk of electrical shock from the combination of 120volts and wet, well-grounded humans.

Also, it’s cheaper. If you have the switch inside the shower room, it is required to be on a GFI breaker, which is about twice the cost of a normal circuit breaker.

[Freiheit]

http://broken.typepad.com/b/product_design/

[keithnmick]

Here ya go folks:
http://www.baddesigns.com/index.shtml

• not really all of these are bad product HF designs, but there are some good ones.

• FWIW - I’m actually a professional product designer.

[JerH]

I noticed another one last night - the CD player on my stereo has the open/close button underneath the drawer, so that when it’s open, you can’t see the button and have to lean over and look at which of the identical buttons it is.

[toadspittle]

@jacksen9

Yard equipment, counter tops, mops, brooms, shower heads, should be designed with taller people in mind. I think these things are all designed for shorter people. I wish my cell phone menu would order its options according to frequency of use. I use the phone book most frequently so I would like this option to be first. Presently, I have to scroll down the list past four other options. Also I would like it if the number you get from directory assistance could be saved as the last number called. If the number is busy or you get no answer and you want to call back you have to remember the number or write it down. I wish the number was stored as the outgoing call in place of 411.

My current phone is simple and awesome–Nokia 5190. It stores the last 10 dialed numbers, which you can access from the default position by simply pressing the UP key. That, and the call/hang-up keys are pretty much all I ever use. I love it.

Now, my wife has a fancy new color-screen Nokia. She can no longer access these numbers this way, and has to go through a bunch of menus to find her phone book. Stupid.

[Freudian_Slit]

No one’s said it yet? Guys! The human male body. Testicles that just…HANG there. The very fact that your semen needs to be that cold in order to work. The fact that you’re essentially wearing your weakness on your sleeve? It’s like Superman deciding that the “S” was overkill, and replacing it with an “I’m Allergic to Kryptonite.” If there were ever a need for evolution…