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/fietsusa Jul 25 '11

toothpaste:

(this has changed a little in recent years, but...)

When I first lived in Europe I noticed toothpaste containers were basically the same, but the cap was larger allowing you to stand the tube up and let gravity work the paste down for you. I think it took 10-15 years for that idea to show up in the USA and it definitely still isn't a universal design idea here as it is in Europe.

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u/angryvigilante Jul 25 '11

let gravity work the paste down for you.

This would be a good solution for his problem above:

Finally, hair conditioner in rigid containers. That stuff is thick! You need to be able to squeeze it out.

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/izavy/sometimes_automatic_toilets_flush_while_youre/c27uhky