Any designer knows that when they are creating something new they need to make sure that it is usable and realistic. Despite this, there have been occasions when products have failed to hit the brief, often when style triumphs over substance. We take a look at 10 of the most frustrating design flaws that no one talks about.
Short Power Cords on Vacuum Cleaners
Cordless vacuum cleaners can be great but their battery life is not very long so many people have stayed loyal to the corded version. While corded vacuums are reliable in terms of power, they can be very frustrating if they have a short cord. Some vacuum cleaner models have short cords which means unplugging and plugging the cord at various points around your home. A longer power cord that allows for easy movement from room to room would enhance the design of vacuums significantly.
Smudge Prone Tech
Whether it be your child’s tablet or a glossy finish smartphone or notepad, nothing makes us squirm more than a smudged screen that looks gross and cheap. Sometimes, no matter how hard you polish the surface once you notice a mark the screen is filthy again after a couple of touches. The issue with smudging is usually down the materials used in the tech, with cheaper plastic coatings smudging more than high-quality materials. A very glossy finish to your device will also cause more smudges than you would like. It is always a good idea to keep a cleaning cloth handy and use it often to keep on top of the smudges but we can’t help but ask manufacturers to try and get a handle on the smudge issue.
Airplane Seating
From not enough armrests to having a tiny space to shift past someone when trying to get to the bathroom, airplane seating is among the most annoying design features. We understand that there is limited space as airlines need to cram in as many passengers as possible, but sometimes plane rides are so uncomfortable. One of the worst design features on airplanes is the recline function. Why can the chairs recline when you end up putting the person sitting behind you’s face in their dinner? It is common courtesy to not recline your seat while flying so why enable such selfish behaviors?
No Pockets on Women’s Clothing
Women across the world all shout in unison when they pollen the perfect pair of shorts or a skirt only. To dine they are not so perfect as they do not have pockets! You know the way men like to put their wallets, phones, cash, or tissues in their pockets so they are nice and handy? Well, breaking news, women love pockets too!
Glass Sauce Bottles
Glass sauce bottles are better for the environment as they are more easily recycled and it means there is less plastic in the world. However, one major flaw in glass bottles is that it is very difficult to get the last dregs of sauce from the bottom. Instead of a couple of quick squeezes, ketchup lovers, have to shake the bottle furiously to get the smallest of drips from the bottom.
Poor Ventilation in Laptops
You can guarantee that when you have to ask assignment to finish or a deadline to meet, your laptop will overheat and crash. The compact nature of laptops means that they are prone to overheating but does it always have to happen at the worst time? While there is a certain degree of inevitability about laptops getting hot when they are in use for a long time, some manufacturers scrimp on ventilation which means their whole design is floored. If we are going to invest in you as a laptop designer, you need to invest in an effective cooling system.
Soap Dispensers
Soap dispensers that have a pump spray are great for washing your hands without creating a lot of mess on the bathroom sink. That is until you get to the bottom of the bottle and the last remaining soap surrounds the outside of the tube and you have no way of pumping the soap into your hands. Cue trying to unscrew the whole bottle, running the tube over your hands, and patting the bottom of the bottle to get the last bit of soap.
Hotel Room Lighting
If, like us, you get excited at the thought of a hotel room and are practically bursting when you open the door of the room to see what it is like, you have probably been confused about hotel lighting. The excitement is often put on hold as you scramble around feeling the walls and searching high and low of the socket that matches the light you want on. The same goes for bedtime when you get all comfortable only to find you have to get out of bed to switch off the shade that is right next to your bed. When hotels get the switch design nailed, some of them go on to frustrate us even more with low-level lighting that has us stamping our toes when we head to the bathroom.
Refrigerator Doors
The shelves on refrigerator doors are very handy for storing milk and eggs, only it is not the best place to store these items from a health and safety point of view. The food stored in the refrigerator doors is often at a higher temperature than food stored in the main body as it is affected by the opening and closing of the until. As milk and eggs do not like higher temperatures, you may find your milk gets sour quite quickly if you are opening your refrigerator door a lot.
Hand Dryers
A great idea in theory, but in reality do automatic hand dryers dry our hands? Some expensive brands, such as Dyson, manage to effectively dry our hands but most seem to blow hot air at us and we end up drying our hands on our trousers. It is safe to say that in the cases of the above designs, more work is needed.
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