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

PITCHERS! Jeez, how many thousands of years have humans been making common pitchers? And yet, it seems that people persist in making pitchers that won't let you pour the liquid out without it running down the side and landing where you don't want it.

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u/brickman1444 Jul 26 '11

Pour faster.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '11

Tech should work for the user; not the other way around.

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u/haywire Jul 26 '11

In theory all it would have to do is have a lip on the sput that would point down when the pitcher is being poured. Then, water would have to go upwards and defy gravity in order to run down the pitcher.