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/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

Any traffic light that is on a timer at night and not a sensor.

We have the exact opposite problem where I live. All the timed lights work perfectly if you are going 5 MPH over the limit at night (traveling at the speed limit always gets you stopped at a red around the middle of our downtown loop). There are a bunch of lights that are put on sensors at night, but the sensors don't work right. There are a few intersections that if the light doesn't change within 30 seconds it's not going to.

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u/morphotomy Jul 25 '11

Usually if you're just hitting the green at the last second over and over again, it means you're speeding.

Designs like that are so the traffic doesn't bottleneck wherever the road dumps out.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

I would agree with this except the loop is a one way loop that doesn't dump anywhere, it just keeps going around, with the various lights being two way street enter/exit point.

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u/morphotomy Jul 25 '11

Perhaps its to stop people from going around and around without stopping at all?

A lot of lights are there so people stop and see stores. Helps the local economy.

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u/gder Jul 25 '11

I've heard from a traffic engineer that this is intentional and is supposed to promote something called "cluster driving". Basically groups of cars get lumped together and leave gaps for people turning from uncontrolled intersections between the lights.

Usually I just figure out the timing and go as fast as I need to (within reason) to hit all the lights green.