You know, I've seen countless "no texting while driving campaigns" and I agree with the premise. I think it is dangerous not to have your eyes on the road. That's how accidents happen. With that said, don't car manufacturers think it's counterintuitive to include touchscreens instead of knobs or dials in new cars these days? You have to take your eyes off the road to adjust anything. I think it's hazardous, especially if you happen to be driving in inclement weather.
After Redditor TheTenthDimension asked the online community, "What's your best example of 'Whoever designed this must not use their own product'?" people shared some suggestions.
"I've personally worked on projects..."
Here's a fun one. We just installed a bunch of new Kronos badge readers at work. The type you swipe your ID card to clock in and out. Everyone at work wears a lanyard that is attached at the top middle by a plastic strap, and your badge must always be displayed while at work.
Anyway when you go to swipe your badge in the new reader the card reader slot is too deep because the lanyard attachment on your badge hits the slot and prevents you from fully swiping your ID so you have to take your ID fully off the lanyard to get it to swipe now.
I've personally worked on projects at the Kronos headquarters, when I saw this design flaw I was not surprised one bit, between that and the usability of their web portals it seemed pretty par for the course for Kronos.
"I have a fan..."
I have a fan with a bright LED light that shows what setting it's on. Luckily, there's a 'sleep' mode that makes the light dimmer. Except another light comes on to let you know sleep mode is on, and that one is at full brightness. Just... why?
"Engineers must have forgotten..."
All TVs without at least the basic controls on the TV. Engineers must have forgotten the possibility of breaking or losing the remote.
"Straps can stretch out..."
BRAS.
Straps can stretch out during a long day's wear. Whose brilliant idea was it to put the adjusters in the back where you can't see or reach them?
"For someone who has a really hard time..."
The system to get help with mental health, like anxiety and depression. For someone who has a really hard time with making phone calls, it's tough to get help when every step requires more phone calls and appointments. Not to mention how expensive counseling is.
"To make matters worse..."
We got these new pin pads where I work and the slide part for the credit cards is at a 45-degree angle instead of completely sideways or completely up and down. To make matters worse a light illuminates the slide area, but when you're looking at it from the perspective of the customer it makes it look like there's nowhere to slide the card at all due to where the angle of the light hits. I've seen people struggle for thirty seconds trying to find where to slide their cards before I have to show them. Unfortunately, there are some functions where a customer has to slide their card and not insert the chip. The cherry on top is that these pin pads do not have tap to pay or Apple/Samsung pay functionality...
"Bathrooms in brand new..."
Bathrooms in brand new (and fairly expensive) homes seem to be designed for women by men who have no idea what the majority of women (and some men) really need.
- nice vanities but no real storage.
- walk-in closets that you access through the bathroom, so if one of you is using the toilet, you either walk in on them or wait until they're finished before you can get to the closet.
- beautiful walk-in showers with completely inadequate space for shampoo and etc
- beautiful walk-in showers with nowhere to put your foot when you shave.
Not about the bathroom, but in those walk-in closets, nothing configured for dresses or long coats.
"The volume control..."
The volume control on a car radio should always be a twist knob, not a slider on a screen. There's no way to use a slider without taking your eyes off the road.
"I can't think of anything more infurating..."
McGraw-Hill products.
I can't think of anything more infuriating and less educational. My teachers use them for absolutely everything.
"I once stayed..."
I once stayed in a "trendy" "designer" hotel which was clearly designed by someone who had never stayed in a hotel. The only lights were dim as hell mood lighting, and the windows were floor-to-ceiling with blackout blinds but no net curtains, so if you needed to see anything clearly then your only option was to have zero privacy. Never staying there again!
"It's next to impossible..."
Imodium packaging. It's next to impossible to open without scissors, and obviously if you need Imodium it's fairly urgent.
"My kids have a wooden puzzle..."
My kids have a wooden puzzle that can make animal sounds when you remove the puzzle parts from their holes.
Unfortunately, it does not have an off switch and the trigger is light sensitive. So if one part is missing every time you turn on the light or the sun rises it will make a sound.
There are also some books which sound effects which your toddler will press a million time. So an 'off'-switch would be very helpful for your sanity.
"Whoever built..."
Whoever built the condo I live in and put the vent to blow at the window and not towards the living area / open space. Do they not like appropriate air circulation?!
"It's worth noting..."
Those personality questions they ask when doing online applications for a job. They are literally the worst. And they don't seem to be consistent either. I've taken the same test twice, passed it the first time and failed it the second with the same answers.
It's worth noting that they also really aren't that useful either. Just because someone "passes" the questionaire doesn't mean they will be a good fit for the job.
"It can't add."
The time card/schedule software my work had designed in-house with much fanfare. It can't add. That's approximately half of what it needs to do. Just add up my hours worked/scheduled for the day, week, paycheck period, year-to-date, and tell me how close I am to the limit. Or even just add it accurately and let me do my own damn subtraction. No, it's always off by tens of hours at least. If they had to use it, they'd see that.
"But since many schools..."
Google Classroom.
Seriously, they didn't seem to consult with any actual teachers before rolling things out. And since then, have been slow to adopt features or changes that are wildly popular. But since many schools are 1-1 Chromebooks due to their low cost, we're forced to use it.
"I used to work..."
I used to work on aircraft. It's amazing how many items requiring frequent maintenance and inspections are stuck behind non-removable panels and other hard to get to spots.
"I hate those stairs."
A little late to it, but honestly, architectural stairs. You know, the ones that have really short or really tall steps, and sometimes they're long or steps as well, where you can't comfortably take a step, because you either have to lift you foot very high to step on a step so tiny, that only your toes really fit onto it or so short and long, that you end up basically doing splits and exhausting your shins on the way up. I hate those stairs.
"Can you guys just make them..."
Electrical plastic connector clips in automobile components. Some are a sonuvabitch to get off, using pliers is sometimes risky because you don't want to break the plastic, and this is made worse when they're in a difficult to access place.
Can you guys just make them A LITTLE easier to unplug?