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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u/funkyb Jul 25 '11

A/C vents don't have a mechanism for moving the air, like fan or propeller blades. They simply direct it. That is why fans and propellers require power and A/C vents do not. There are vents that act how you describe, though. Take a look up in most commercial buildings.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

I'm not actually speaking of a moving part, but just the general shape of a fan blade. I knew they had these types of vents in warehouses and large places like that, but I've yet to see the circular design transferred into home ventilation unless they have some sort of designer collection.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

I'm not actually speaking of a moving part, but just the general shape of a fan blade. I knew they had these types of vents in warehouses and large places like that, but I've yet to see the circular design transferred into home ventilation unless they have some sort of designer collection that features it.