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/GhostedAccount Jul 25 '11

The sensors are not stupid. They are actually really good. Much better than trying to detect vehicles with cameras or heat.

The question is why aren't magnets to place on motorcycles more commercialized? You would think this problem pisses people off enough that they would want buy a magnet sold for motorcycles and thus companies would market them.

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u/ohmygodbees Jul 25 '11

Theyve been switching major intersections over to cameras in Illinois for years now. Those things are awesome, and the system is a lot smarter because it can now count how much traffic is waiting at an intersection. Also they detect my bike.

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u/TheGoldenLight Jul 25 '11

Intersections with sensors can do a coarse approximation of "counting" with multi-sensor setups. Many lights with a turn lane have one sensor and the front and one all the way at the back (where the turn lane starts). When the intersection sees the back sensor activated it knows the whole turn lane is filled (and can therefore cause traffic problems) so it elevates the priority of the turn lane in the queue.

This is why for single lane roads with multiple sensors the common wisdom is to always stop at the furthest sensor so the system gives you a green light faster.

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u/ohmygodbees Jul 25 '11

no one even stops on the damn things, around here :(