Any designer knows that when creating something new, they need to ensure 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 look at 10 of the most frustrating design flaws no one mentions.
Short Power Cords on Vacuum Cleaners
Cordless vacuum cleaners can be great, but their battery life is short, 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 lines, which means unplugging and plugging the cable at various points around your home. A longer power cord that allows for easy movement from room to room would significantly enhance the design of vacuums.
Glass Sauce Bottles
Glass sauce bottles are better for the environment as they are more easily recycled, meaning less plastic worldwide. However, one central area for improvement in glass bottles is that getting the last dregs of sauce from the bottom is very difficult. Instead of a couple of quick squeezes, ketchup lovers who happen upon a glass bottle must shake the bottle furiously to get the smallest of drips from the bottom.
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 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 streaks. Still, we can’t help but ask manufacturers to try to get a handle on the smudge issue.
Poor Ventilation in Laptops
You can guarantee that your laptop will overheat and crash when you have an assignment to finish or a deadline to meet. The compact nature of laptops means they are prone to overheating, but does it always have to happen at the worst time? While there is a certain degree of certainty about laptops getting hot when used for a long time, some manufacturers scrimp on ventilation, meaning their whole design could be better. If we invest in you as a laptop designer, you must invest in an effective cooling system.
Airplane Seating
Airplane seating is among the most annoying design features, from insufficient armrests to having a tiny space to shift past someone when trying to get to the bathroom. We understand there is limited space as airlines must cram in as many passengers as possible. Still, sometimes, plane rides could be more comfortable. One of the worst design features on airplanes is the recline function. Why can the chairs recline when you put the person sitting behind you’s face in their dinner? It is common courtesy not to recline your seat while flying, so why enable such selfish behaviors?
No Pockets on Women’s Clothing
Women worldwide 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 friendly and handy? Well, breaking news, women love bags too!
Hand Dryers
A great idea in theory, but in reality, do automatic hand dryers dry our hands? Some expensive brands, such as Dyson, effectively dry our hands, but most seem to blow hot air at us, and we dry our hands on our trousers.
Soap Dispensers
Soap dispensers with a pump spray are great for washing your hands without creating a mess on the bathroom sink. That is until you get to the bottom of the bottle, 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 to get the last bit of soap.
Hotel Room Lighting
If you get excited at the thought of a hotel room and practically burst when you open the room door 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 for 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 right next to your bed. When hotels get the switch design nailed, some 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, but there are better places 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 doors. As milk and eggs do not like higher temperatures, your milk may get sour quite quickly if you open your refrigerator door often.