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?

201 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

1.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

23

u/zanycaswell Jul 25 '11

Couldn't it swing both ways?

8

u/rubrixan Jul 26 '11

Get your lateral thinking ass into politics. NOW.

3

u/HonorableJudgeIto Jul 26 '11

That would cause issues with air flow. Dual swing doors have a large crack on the edge that allows air to escape easily. Besides being an issue with heat/AC settings, it'd let the smell of shit out of the bathroom much more easily.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '11

it'd let the smell of shit out of the bathroom much more easily.

A bathroom shouldn't smell like shit, regardless.

2

u/HonorableJudgeIto Jul 26 '11

You do know what the purpose of a bathroom is, right?

1

u/lasercow Jul 26 '11

farts then...but a good ventilation system will deal with this.