# Stupidest product design you’ve experienced **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621 "2023-03-25T02:57:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/181 "2023-03-29T01:01:02Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Physical on/off buttons on _desktop_ PCs went out when ACPI was introduced in 1996. Ever since then the on/off switch was just a signal to part of the firmware running in the CPU or one of the support chips. laptops & later tablets are the same way. In no sense did it interrupt the flow of electricity. it simply instructed some software to issue a command to some other software inside the power supply to interrupt the flow of electricity. Maybe. But, if the minimac’s frozen and I can’t shut it down in the ordinary fashion, I can still shut it off with the off button; whatever means the off button is using to accomplish that. And if even that doesn’t work, I can unplug it. Which doesn’t work with a laptop, of course: making it more important for a laptop to have some other method of accomplishing that purpose. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/182 "2023-03-29T01:11:20Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > The key reason the GMC version is a fail is that they provide no way whatsoever to turn it off permanently if it doesn’t fit my lifestyle (or if all it does is cry “Wolf!”) I don’t think mine can be turned off permanently either. AFAIK it re-arms with each engine start. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/183 "2023-03-29T01:37:26Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The bane of my existence are computers that are slower than I am. In my current car I car push the start button, have the engine light off, then move the console shift lever into D and press the adjacent parking brake release switch before the computers have finished waking up and they ignore my parking brake release command. Then I add throttle pedal and there’s no going. Pisses me right off. A mechanic friend advised me a few years ago, that the computers in today’s cars need a few seconds to wake up. He recommended turning the key to the “on position” to wake up the computer, counting to three or four Mississippis, then cranking the engine. That’s what I do–well, really, I listen for three or four “bongs” coming from the “hey, put on your seat belt” warning. Either way, it seems to work. My car works well when I do that, and I don’t get weird or wonky error messages on the display. Once the engine is turning over, I can put on my seat belt and get going. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/184 "2023-03-29T11:51:18Z")
What is this “key” and “on position” of which you speak? I don’t drive brand new cars, but the last car I owned that had a key to insert into an ignition switch as the normal method of start-up was 3-4 cars ago. My current car begins waking up a little when you touch the door handle to unlock it. After sitting down the only possible start-up action is to push the big start button. The engine is turning instantly then running a fraction of a second later. _Then_ comes the delay while the rest of the ancillary shit is still waking up. “Modern conveniences” aren’t always. But they do give us novel stuff to whine about, and folks (i.e. me) just love to whine, so there is that benefit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/185 "2023-03-30T00:47:04Z")
Well the “computer” in your car is likley 18 different modules from different suppliers that must handshake with each other in various sequences. They also have built-in delays so that they dont make popping noises. Car technology is basically 2 to 3 years behind state of the art because of the development cycle and the time needed to line up suppliers. Eventually, it will catch up with our brains, but not for another 5 to 8 years, I suppose. Clumsy yes, but not always stupid. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/186 "2023-03-30T00:47:32Z")
I was wondering that myself! A “key” is becoming a foreign concept. I was just wishing today that there was an “Acc” position in my newer car so that I could sit in the car and play the stereo without having to turn it on all the way after a short period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/187 "2023-03-30T12:27:18Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > On ours, the higher number is colder. I’d have to look to see why I know that. I’m sure I didn’t look it up in the manual. Because a refrigerator’s job is to cool things. So a higher arbitrary number is cooler. The same way an oven’s job is to heat things, so the higher the number the hotter it is. My logic is flawless, but I am often wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/188 "2023-03-30T13:49:38Z")
On our Honda if you press the button twice without your foot on the brake it goes into ACC mode. There has to be something like that for yours… ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/189 "2023-03-30T15:22:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Don’t tell me which end of the scale is “max”; tell me which end is cold! I know it’s bad design, but if you sit down and think about it. “Max” could either be maximum cold or maximum hot (i.e., on fire). Now I’m not saying that your fridge does not have an “on fire” setting, because I have lived a full life and seen a lot of stupid, but… ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/190 "2023-03-30T16:10:03Z")
My fridge, at least, doesn’t have an “absolute zero” setting, either. The “max” and “min” are obviously meant to refer to the maximum and minimum points of the temperature range the fridge is supposed to be able to maintain. My new one says “Cold” and “Coldest”, which seems pretty clear; especially since “off” is clearly marked right under the “cold” side. I suppose they were worried that if the “cold” side said “warmer” that some people would think it meant the fridge could be set to warmer than room temperature. The old one did say “max” and “min” and I never was sure which was which. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/191 "2023-03-30T17:02:08Z")
@Isamu two posts up … @thorny_locust already gave my practical feedback to your points, but I gotta say this > [@Isamu](#): > > because I have lived a full life and seen a lot of stupid, but… gave me a real chuckle. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/192 "2023-03-30T17:52:04Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > When the toast pops up, it also gives a little high-pitched scream. Nowhere on the box was there any warning that it would contain this “feature,” and I cannot imagine a human that would find it useful: even blind users can hear the toast pop up. We have a Cuisinart coffeemaker, and the first time we brewed a cycle I nearly jumped out of my skin when the “done” signal went. I guess it’s designed for people with much bigger houses than our townhouse. At least, we can disable the signal. When we bought our current dishwasher, all the controls-on-the-front-door models were aggresively ugly. I know. first world problems. So, I pushed for the “invisible” controls on the top of the door. It’s never been an issue in the nearly 20 years we’ve had it. You do have to bend a bit to check if the light is off, but it’s really not a problem, like at all. Our washing machine has a kind of grace period after you start the cycle. When you push the start button, a light goes on. You have until the locked button goes on to open the door and make any changes. It’s about five minutes. Plenty of time. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/193 "2023-03-30T19:25:42Z")
Our dishwasher has controls on the top of the door, but when it’s running, it shines a little red light on the floor. So telling whether it’s running is very easy and doesn’t involve looking at the door at all. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/194 "2023-03-30T19:34:01Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Well the “computer” in your car is likley 18 different modules from different suppliers that must handshake with each other in various sequences. They also have built-in delays so that they dont make popping noises. Car technology is basically 2 to 3 years behind state of the art because of the development cycle and the time needed to line up suppliers. Eventually, it will catch up with our brains, but not for another 5 to 8 years, I suppose. Clumsy yes, but not always stupid. 2 to 3 years behind state of the art? My ass. Part of the whole reason auto manufacturers had supply chain issues with chips was because they use technology and wafer sizes so old that they are much much MUCH less profitable for someone to stand up a new factory to build. If I can build 100 iphone chips/minute and sell them for $50 each and sell out of them, why would I want to build a factory that turns out 10 vehicle modules/minute that I can only sell for $10 each? Vehicle technology is 2 - 3 years behind technology from 3 generations ago. Now, there is some excuse for this: these modules have to be able to undergo severe stress for 10 - 20 years without regularly failing, instead of the iphone which they design to be replaced in 2 years, with 5 years on the long end of the cycle. So the testing cycles they have to undergo are much more involved and expensive so using “state of the art” isn’t necessarily desirable since it is unproven in the use case it’s being designed for. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/195 "2023-03-30T19:40:27Z")
Here’s mine from today. Get a call from the Mrs. and am talking when a second call comes in. My iphone then displays 3 icons along the bottom of the screen “End & Accept” “Decline” and “Hold & Accept”. I tell the wife, sorry I need to get this call. I then direct my finger toward the left bottom of the screen where “End & Accept” is and the wife hangs up. I now touch the screen where it just that instant changed the icon to “Decline” and hang up on the caller. Thanks iPhone, I guess you couldn’t put those icons anywhere in the 75% empty space, you had to put them right were the hang up button is going to be. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/196 "2023-03-30T19:43:04Z")
Not so much a stupid design as just bad luck - our Hyundai Accent’s rearview mirror, combined with my height of eye, is perfectly placed so that any car stopped at a cross street is completely invisible. I have to deliberately bend and look around the rearview to confirm that the way is clear if I’m at a four-way stop. I’ve had a few almost close calls because of this. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/197 "2023-03-30T19:53:26Z")
Yes, this one’s been high on the “bad design” lists for a while: [https://mjtsai.com/blog/2020/01/09/end-accept-decline-hold-accept/](https://mjtsai.com/blog/2020/01/09/end-accept-decline-hold-accept/) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/198 "2023-03-30T20:40:45Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I then direct my finger toward the left bottom of the screen where “End & Accept” is and the wife hangs up. I now touch the screen where it just that instant changed the icon to “Decline” and hang up on the caller. > > Thanks iPhone, I guess you couldn’t put those icons anywhere in the 75% empty space, you had to put them right were the hang up button is going to be. Many phones have that problem or similar ones when one of the two calls disconnects right as you’re making inputs to handle a thee-way situation. Not necessarily just moving a different button into a spot on the screen but internal confusion. My late first wife and I had standardized that if another call came in for either of us while we were talking, the person with the 3-way situation was in control and the other person just sat there waiting to be hung up on. We also standardized that if an ordinary just-us call dropped in the middle, the person who had called first would call back. Prevents both of you calling the other back and ending up talking to each other’s voicemails. 😉 New wife and I spend so little time on the phone together that these issues have not arisen. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/199 "2023-03-30T20:48:46Z")
That reminded me of one – new cars today have such high “belt lines” compared to older cars, visibility out the rear and side windows sucks now on most modern vehicles. Backup cameras and blind spot monitoring help compensate, but it’s just not the same as being able to actually see outside the car. Just look at some pictures of 1990s and older cars, and see how much glass they have compared to new ones. I admit, though, there may be a good reason for this, like crashworthiness. I’ve never driven anything with such great visibility as my old Saturn, except my Miata with the convertible top down (but that’s not exactly a fair comparison). ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/200 "2023-03-30T21:02:47Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I then direct my finger toward the left bottom of the screen where “End & Accept” is and the wife hangs up. I now touch the screen where it just that instant changed the icon to “Decline” and hang up on the caller. Any interactive elements that move around are a problem. “But we want to start drawing the page before everything is finished so it doesn’t seem slow!” Whine the designers. Too bad, I’d rather wait an extra .5 seconds, than press the wrong button because they jump around. Not to mention when I _know_ things are going to move, I have to wait for everything to finish loading before I can interact anyway. > [@WildaBeast](#): > > Just look at some pictures of 1990s and older cars, and see how much glass they have compared to new ones. I admit, though, there may be a good reason for this, like crashworthiness. Yeah, the higher belt line is a result of increased collision standards. So you’re less likely to be injured when the car you can’t see hits you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=11)