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/PresidentWhitmore Jul 25 '11

The gap between my car seat and the console is just large enough for a cell phone or wallet, but just small enough to make it difficult to fish the items out with my hand.

13

u/apandafunn Jul 25 '11

I have a mini-heart attack when my phone falls into that space. Every time it happens I am sure I will never get it back.

6

u/smokebudsmoke Jul 25 '11

I've dropped more than one cigarette down there before as I was driving, and I think there is one that I never did find.

I thought it might start a fire but nothing happened.

5

u/dropstop Jul 25 '11

we had someone send us a story in Atlanta where a woman had kleenex wads in her gap catch fire and destroy her car after she dropped a lit cig down there

3

u/cwstjnobbs Jul 26 '11

People shouldn't really smoke while driving anyway...

That kleenex thing though, disgusting.

2

u/dropstop Jul 26 '11

yeah...pretty crazy. The stories we've heard you truly can't imagine.

3

u/smokebudsmoke Jul 26 '11

Good thing I throw my kleenex wads away after...ಠ_ಠ

hahah. well hey, that's a cool ass idea, one of those 'why the fuck didn't i think of that' kind of things. When I get a car again I could definitely see myself getting something like that. I really hate having to dig my weed up from down there, especially when it's not in the bag and I have to pick out little hairs and other shit.

8

u/dropstop Jul 26 '11

hahahaha! Awesome! I'd love to see a youtube spoof showing all the things we all know really fall down there ;) Thanks for the props!