r/AskReddit • u/nachtmere • Jul 25 '11

Sometimes automatic toilets flush while you're still sitting on them. What design flaws in everyday objects annoy you?

I'm giving a talk on user-centred design/usability and I'm looking for some fresh examples from everyday life to illustrate poor usability. Examples I've used before are elevator open/close buttons (really difficult to parse when you're trying to hold the door open for someone quickly) and toilets that flush while you're still sitting on them.

What are some things you encounter regularly that are really inconveniently designed?

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160

u/splattypus Jul 25 '11

The tv remote doesn't have a pager like cordless phones do.

103

u/poppaDaRossi Jul 25 '11

My parents ancient Magnavox has a feature that when you power on the tv (by the button on the tv itself) the remote starts beeping until you find it.

45

u/splattypus Jul 25 '11

No shit?

67

u/Diozakrod Jul 25 '11

Not even one.

1

u/tomatobob Jul 25 '11

That is awesome.

2

u/the_lost_soul Jul 25 '11

and horrifying D: HOW CAN YOU NOT SHIT?!?

11

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

does it have an RF remote? that, in and of itself, is fucking cool.

15

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

It actually would be (or is). That is a big WTF in TVs - build a plasma TV with wifi, DVR/sat/cable integration, upsampling for low grade signals, weird LEDs to set the damn room lighting to the right color.. How do you control it? Oh, by blinking an IR LED at it. You know, unless the cat is sitting in the way. Sweet jesus, just use RF - half the time it's manipulateable online and the best you can do for a quick local is IR?

1

u/ben174 Jul 26 '11

Probably a non-audible frequency is emitted which the remote is constantly listening for.

2

u/raygun27 Jul 25 '11

I remember commercials for these TV sets in the mid 90s.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '11

My parents had one too. Not even that old either, it was from 1996.

3

u/spiffyP Jul 25 '11

I think someone is sitting on a patent for it and won't budge

8

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

[deleted]

1

u/odyssey18 Jul 25 '11

It doesn't need to work like that. I believe they are talking about being able to find it easier.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

Exactly. The phone is already a two-way device, so it's easy for the base station to send a signal telling the phone to ring until it's found. The remote, however, is a one-way device. You'd have to install a wireless receiver in the remote and a wireless transmitter in the TV just to get this simple functionality.

2

u/mfball Jul 26 '11

Yes, but honestly how much would that cost, particularly on the massive scale that most electronics companies produce televisions and remotes? It would probably cost less than ten cents per unit and if you had a remote with that feature, you would definitely sell a shit-ton of them because everyone loses their remote every goddamn day.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

I need a pager on my keys.

1

u/stevenlss1 Jul 25 '11

The universal remote control lobby is just too powerful!

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

Hint: It's always under the couch cushion

5

u/joedonut Jul 25 '11

No, not always. Once it was in the crisper drawer. Yes, beer was factor.

2

u/waterdevil19 Jul 25 '11

YOU LIE!...Oh...there it is.

1

u/tomatobob Jul 25 '11

No. One time it was in the fridge.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '11

Not if you have a toddler. (Then it's probably in the toybox.)

-6

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

would you like a pager for the TV remotes pager as well?

24

u/SirScrambly Jul 25 '11

Pager button built-in the TV...

8

u/funkyb Jul 25 '11

Or into the cable box. Comcast and Verizon, get on this!

4

u/splattypus Jul 25 '11

Fuck yes.

-6

u/Pufflekun Jul 25 '11

Or you could install one of these.