# 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:** 41
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/801 "2023-07-04T15:42:51Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I can’t scan directly from the printer/scanner. I have to load the scanner, then go into the computer, open system preferences, open printers/scanners, open the scanner, then tell it to scan from there. How do you imagine scanning a document without opening a program on the computer? Where should the document appear? (Incidentally, the Microsoft EZ PDF Document Scanner app is very efficient and idiot-proof. No need to dig around for the printer.) ---
**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:** [July 4, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/802 "2023-07-04T15:45:35Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > How do you imagine scanning a document without opening a program on the computer? Where should the document appear? When I first got the thing, I could initiate the scan from the printer. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/803 "2023-07-04T15:45:39Z")
I’ve used printer/scanners where that’s defined in the PC software. So pressing that button on the printer/scanner, for example, scans the document in color, scanning only one side and puts the file in a pre-determined folder. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/804 "2023-07-04T19:05:45Z")
And you don’t check to see that the scan turned out OK? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/805 "2023-07-04T19:15:30Z")
What makes you think that I would not? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/806 "2023-07-04T19:20:55Z")
So if you’re already sitting down in front of your computer, what difference does it make if you activated the scan from there or from the printer? Really, I’m not trying to start an argument - I just don’t see why being able to initiate a scan from the scanner is that important a feature. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/807 "2023-07-04T19:22:48Z")
Meanwhile, I wasn’t trying to _continue_ your argument; I was merely replying to your question, “How do you imagine scanning a document without opening a program on the computer? Where should the document appear?” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/808 "2023-07-04T19:24:20Z")
BTW, we have networked Kyocera printers in the office that will automatically send a scan to my email inbox if I select my name from the menu, or a designated network folder if I select a different option from the menu. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/809 "2023-07-04T19:30:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I just don’t see why being able to initiate a scan from the scanner is that important a feature. When I check a scan, I can check via a number of very easy programs: Adobe, or something. If I could do something by pressing the large button labelled “SCAN” on my printer, that would be great. Unfortunately, it’s only via the software put out by Brother, and I can’t even figure out what I need, as their scan section doesn’t seem to support the model of printer I have. So that portion of the printer is more or less completely non-functional. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/810 "2023-07-04T19:31:36Z")
I’ve never seen this thing in the wild, only in places where plastic gizmos are sold. Anyway, it’s a new, better way to apply toothpaste to your toothbrush. You take your brush off the built-in bracket and push a lever which lays a perfect line of paste. I believe that every time someone uses this thing, they are either contaminating the dispenser or the brush. I can’t remember the rationale for this thing, but I think it was sanitation related. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/811 "2023-07-04T19:34:56Z")
Because it’s easier to just push the “scan” button on my scanner/printer/copier (which will open the program) than trying to remember which of the programs that starts out “HP” I need - It’s not called “HP Scan” . That would be too easy. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/812 "2023-07-04T19:38:31Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Unfortunately, it’s only via the software put out by Brother, and I can’t even figure out what I need, as their scan section doesn’t seem to support the model of printer I have. So that portion of the printer is more or less completely non-functional. For the record, this program has worked with every scanner I’ve owned. I keep it pinned to my Start menu, so no problem finding it either. > **[PDF Document Scanner](https://pdf-document-scanner.en.softonic.com/)** > > Scan and save PDF files ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/813 "2023-07-04T19:39:13Z")
Thank you! I’ll try this. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/814 "2023-07-04T19:39:22Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > And you don’t check to see that the scan turned out OK? Yes. But if I’m scanning several documents, or a multi-page document, I wouldn’t ordinarily sit down at the computer inbetween each page; I’d probably check the first, and then presuming it was OK check all the others after I’d put them all through the scanner. Except that since the scanner will no longer initiate the scans, I have to stand up to change documents in the scanner, and then sit down to start the scan, for each one. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/815 "2023-07-04T19:44:48Z")
Thank you again. This worked beautifully. I spent about 20 minutes faffing around with the Brother site and checking my computer to see where it had put my software, to no avail. I spent much less time downloading, installing, and using this! Brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/816 "2023-07-04T19:45:46Z")
My pleasure! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/817 "2023-07-06T23:05:53Z")
And freaking pudding and yogurt cups. When I worked with preschool and kindergarteners I don’t know how many 3 and 4 year olds I had to help wash their hands after they tried to get the dregs with their fingers. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/818 "2023-07-06T23:11:19Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I don’t know how many 3 and 4 year olds I had to help wash their hands after they tried to get the dregs with their fingers. Isn’t this more of a design problem with the three- and four-year-olds? ---
**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:** [July 6, 2023, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/819 "2023-07-06T23:57:28Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > And freaking pudding and yogurt cups. When I worked with preschool and kindergarteners I don’t know how many 3 and 4 year olds I had to help wash their hands after they tried to get the dregs with their fingers. As I was reading this I was recalling when I was ~10yo and individual serving pudding first came out in peel-off top aluminum cans. I was expecting you to tell us how often you had to bandage little fingers after the kids sliced themselves open on the sharp can edges trying to scoop out the last of the pudding with fingers. I can recall some horrific tongue injuries to myself & my playmates. Finger injuries too. Modern plastic tubs with peel-off foil lids are definitely a safer product design. Might be just as stupid, but definitely not as dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621/820 "2023-07-07T00:44:09Z")
Speaking of foil, another one I was reminded of the other day: My roll of aluminum foil has a couple of little tabs on the end of the box that you can push in, to keep the roll in the box. Except, the tabs push in in the wrong direction. They don’t do a thing to keep the roll in the box, but if the roll does come out, they very efficiently prevent it from going back in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=40) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidest-product-design-you-ve-experienced/981621.md?page=42)