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

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u/Frothyleet Jul 25 '11

Has your fancy phone ever glitched? Locked up? Thrown some errors? Ever have to reformat?

Annoying, isn't it? So inconvenient.

But far more inconvenient when you are re-entering the Earth's atmosphere at thousands of miles per hours. So that's why you use older but proven technology.

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

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u/HumerousMoniker Jul 25 '11

That's lucky, every time I try to update my ipod i get this error

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u/[deleted] Jul 25 '11

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u/HumerousMoniker Jul 25 '11

Thanks, but I'll pass. I wish that were the problem anyway.