I find the design of a lot of toys to be poor. If they'd just make things a little bigger, a little wider, etc. No, they cheap out and the item is then mediocre. The worst was a water table someone bought for DS over the summer. Great concept, TERRIBLE design. There's a stacking tower with tiny pegs/nubs that fit into each other. So easy to knock over so it doesn't stay standing. Why not add a little more plastic and make it so they attach and attach INTO the water table properly so it can't be knocked over. The designers either didn't have kids or were more concerned about making a buck.
There was also a round shape sorter someone bought him that was for his age group and the pieces were a choking hazard. It's currently in the attic but I considered tossing it.

oh, yeah -- toy design is mondo stupid!

here's another one: when I was house-hunting, I looked at a new build, on the low-end of the scale, that was two story, and on the second story it had a vestibuly-space thing above the stairs with a window . . . that was closed in on all four sides. So you couldn't even get into the space to clean the window, let alone hang a light or anything in there. Cheap, poor design!

Someone needs to get a grip on the designers who add LED lights to things.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should!

I wrote a scathing review about a wall timer switch with blinking LED lights that Home Depot refused to publish, probably because I said they should fire the person who designed it and anyone up the production chain who allowed it to be made and sold.

Architects and product designers, as part of their training, should have to be scullery maids for a year. It would get the stupid out of them quickly.

agree -- just say no! to unnecessary lights. I have all that stuff duct taped to hide the light. And think of the energy costs!

This post was edited by Violet.West on Tue, Dec 3, 13 at 18:40

Glad you aren't blind of hard of hearing, violet. Lights were a blessing for my aunt after she lost her hearing.

Violet,
My dad has low vision and can't see touch pads well.

Solution? A little round sticker with a hole in the middle about the size of a cheerio. Your finger can feel the sticker on the touchpad; the hole allows your finger to work the touchpad.

Try that.

you're quite right, and I apologize that did not occur to me.

that's pretty much what I do with the duct tape. However, then remotes don't work.

We just had to buy a new washer/dryer set, and both of them actually play a *tune* at the end of the cycle! It's the funniest thing to hear; my daughter laughs at it every time.

A chime makes sense for letting you know the cycle is complete, but I really do not need a musical interlude to tell me to put the sheets in the dryer, or take out my underwear because they are dry now :).

On the other hand I finally-after owning and using it for 3 years-got out the manual and learned how to turn OFF the incredibly annoying beep-beep-beep-beep-beep tone that the dishwasher makes when finished. Not only does it beep 5 times, it repeats that little beepfest every 10 minutes overandoverandoverandover.

Ok, stupid design rant over.

Our old wood stove was steel and had a plate riveted to the front that said, "Caution. Hot while in operation."

I would certainly hope so!

My LG washer and dryer play a song when they are finished. I like it.

oh, the BEEPS! Incessant beeping everywhere--don't get me started!

I kind of like my LG washer/dryer tunes as well. And DH and I were thoroughly entertained in the beginning watching through the clear lid as our clothes "danced" at the start of the cycle........uh, maybe we need to get out more!

While the beeping is an irritation on MW and now the fridge....At least I know my old brain forgot to get the heated item while diverted or left the door ajar.

Extra lights do the same to me. I would like a lit buttom of what was in use, or at least a motion detector light on the product.

Running displays talking to me about what I did or did't do. Readability is iffy, but still leading my head if something is forgotten.

My one big is the running info at the bottom of TVs. We bought a big TV to see the full screen, not for reading info on 1/4 of it. Not just one, but up to 3 can be cascading across and sometimes overlapping whatever they are trying to convey.

Are we all getting brain dead with so much talking or beeping at us. Guess those clean/dirty signs for DW are no longer of large value, or were they? And reading glasses less needed.

I do have a Tablet touch pen by the stove for sometimes sticky/hard to push options. Which reminds me to opt for a stove to enter the actual cooking numbers, rather than pushing an arrow up or down to get there.

I ask myself that question every time I clean my toilets. I suppose part of the problem is that my boys have not been trained well to aim carefully into the bowl. But the way the seat attaches to the toilet bowl is such that there are crevices that can pool urine underneath. I thought the seat wasn't easily removable so I just did my best using q-tips and such to try and get under there. One day the smell just got to me, so spent a bit of time figuring out just how to remove the seat - OMG, the filth under there! Sooooo gross! And while I've since talked to my boys about being more careful, still! I shouldn't have to remove the seat completely to be able to clean there! Every time I clean them, I say to myself "a man who has never cleaned a toilet must have designed this!"

The USB ports on my iMac are all on the back of the screen making it a PITA when I want to plug in my camera, iPod, etc. I try and feel around for the holes but never can manage to get them plugged in and end up having to turn the huge screen around to see the back.

Chair stair lifts. The design and function of the news ones are dinosaurs. Slower than molasses, one must hold the levor the whole time. It came with remotes but the remotes didn't communicate with the chair and it would go two stairs and stop. Holding the levor long enough to get up or down used to make my MIL's hand cramp.

It wasn't cheap either and I researched them to death! Glad it's gone now.

Fourkids, we had the same problem when my son was little. After we took off the tank and cleaned thoroughly, my husband caulked it sealed using transparent silicone all along the seam. Problem solved, maybe it will help you too.

As for our singing washer and dryer, my husband keeps asking if we can make it play 'Dixie'.

Ann

The tire pressure indicator in my car. Every time the weather changes, one or more tire indicators light up. If I ever really do have a low or flat tire, do you think I am going to believe that thing? Talk about the boy who cried wolf...

yes! the TPM! Mine's still on after the weather change and I had the tire people check my tires. They assured me it would go off after the sensors read the correct pressure.

Now I think they have to manually turn it off or something. Fail!

Actually, with the change of season and the lower air temperatures, tire pressure can drop. In the hot seasons, they can be overfilled and risk a blow out.

I have DH check the tire pressure on all the vehicles (including the spare tires) twice a year for safety. And a properly inflated tire will save on gas.

My tire pressure indicator light lit up on Monday. Naturally DH always seems to be away when this stuff happens, so I went to the dealership so they could put air in. Was told a nail was in the tire and it needed to be replaced. The same thing happened last year several weeks after we bought the car in May....also bought a new tire then.....hmmm...now I wonder if we really did need new tires since it seems common for the light to come on. Two new tires in a year and a half! And both times nails at the edge of the tire where they say it can't be patched. Now I'm more than a little suspicious of the dealer.

Speaking of tire pressure, I just had a flat tire last night! My car is only 3 months old and the warning light came on but I thought it had to do with my oil pressure, since it was right next to the gauge. I had been at a restaurant with my book club at our mall and left at 10pm. Saw the warning light, heard a funny noise, called dh and told him I was going to stay on the city street and not take the highway. Pulled into another shopping area that was well lit (we call them town centres here - outdoor shops, high rise condos, restaurants, etc). Flat tire! Top it off, dh is in California, I'd left the kids home alone with my 14 y/o in charge of making sure they finished homework and went to bed on time. So I was stranded, about 6 miles from home and had to wait an hour for roadside assistance. I was VERY thankful I left the mall though - not a safe place at night and a very expansive empty parking lot. Where I pulled in, there were still people around at the restaurants, the condo building was right there and a security car driving around repeatedly. Dh was worried though about me being alone, so called my neighbor who came and waited with me, even though I felt totally safe where I was. So glad I hadn't gotten on the highway, plus I could have ruined the rim if I had waited much longer to pull over! I was more concerned about my kids even though I knew they were fine at home.

And now I know that the indicator light is for tire pressure. Tomorrow's task is to get the tire patched! Hope mine doesn't have a nail at the edge like yours, Joanie! So sorry! I've only had a flat tire once before and it was about 20 years ago.

If you are in a position to switch to tires with nitrogen in them instead of air, the temperature changes won't set off the check tire light.

I'm OK with the TPMS light in my car, though I'd much prefer the setup in some new cars that reads out the exact air pressure in each tire so you know which one needs air. My car is amongst the few nowadays blessed with a real, full-size, full-service spare tire that can be rotated with the other four rather than a donut. But they cheaped out and didn't put a TPMS sensor in the spare tire, so if I use it the warning light always turns on. I may buy a sensor (about $50) for the spare the next time I buy new tires.

But my real tire-related rant is about the increasing number of new cars that are being shipped WITHOUT SPARE TIRES. That's acceptable if the car is equipped with run-flat tires, which can safely be driven for about 100 miles without any air in them. But some cars are being sold now with regular tires and no spare, and many drivers aren't aware of this until they get a flat on a highway or in some less-than-safe neighborhood, and then they find out they don't have a spare tire.

I love my toyo rav4 with the full size spare. The new ones don't have them. Fail!

I also use Nitrogen in my tires. When I take it to the dealer for service, I ask them to refresh my tires. It's free.

I'm fortunate, especially given that I have an SUV with large tires, that mine came with a full size spare. Dh decided that he didn't want me to have the tire fixed until he gets home on Saturday - he wants to make sure that they don't try to tell me that it can't be fixed and sell me a new tire (like Joanie mentioned above, and I didn't even tell him about that!). I'll have to ask about nitrogen! THanks for that tip.

Yes, now I wish I would have had them show me the nail....I will do this if there is a next time and not let them whisk me into the waiting area. By the same token, if they really wanted to make big bucks they could have told me there was a major problem with the instrument panel or something...would a big dealership really feel the need to be deceitful for a $150 tire?

STUPED DESIGN THINGS: check out Tulip2012's query on the Discussions side about the weird space in her MBR....THOSE BIG, HIGH LEDGES in rooms....not only a major dust collector, but waste of space. What do you put up there (that won't collect a ton of dust) and how do you get up there to clean? Seriously, what were they thinking?

My older son is visiting and said something about odd they used yellow lights on the DW...I suggested he look around and notice the red, blue, orange, green lights on every kitchen appliance. We can't get away from them.

When we re-did the kitchen, we replaced the electrical outlets. The one with the GFI has a small indicator light. Just what I wanted to see, a green glowing light in the middle of my lovely new backsplash! I ended up putting some craft paint over it. You can tell it's on when next to it but don't have to see it from clear across the room.

Human size cut out posters (standing upright) doing all sorts of activities or lined down a hall. They bother me for some reason.

And is it just here.....but when did walking on the right to shop at malls (akin to driving) become a norm? Tis' a standard here. Haven't shopped at a mall for years and people sure know how to tell you where they want you to be. For some reason I do right side cart in grocery stores, from osmosis or all those electric carts.

TPMs....has anyone notice they look like someone's "bare" rear end? Who designs these things? New car and the thing won't go off. What good does this do? Mechanic told me this happens with some cars and it is a law now to have them. Lazy mechanics are my stupid design things...animate or inanimate.

Although the design logo is the same, MINI has had this for years and can be turned off manually when tires are changed, adjusted, etc. I can do it if they can't, an odd routine. But again, a lazy mechanic is going to avoid it and spend the time talking about how it is fine. They must have changed the build from original design, or we are getting junk ones. Perhaps there is a way for the user to manually turn it off....and off to search.

This isn't a design thing. I cringe when looking for something in a store, then asking the clerk for information and they answer "I don't know". Can't count the times I've wanted to tell them to find someone who does know or to learn something and find out.

Every color possible on appliances, no need to put any holiday lights in the kitchen. Just turn the lights out and everything else on. Same with your car at night. Dazzling!

techicolor, along the same lines is the popular, "Did you find what you are looking for today?" I've given up actually responding truthfully, there's always the deer in the headlights look and I know the clerks are just trying to do their job.
20 minutes later and the store manager won't solve the problem that they are out of brown sugar!

ah! I hate that! and if you say, "no" -- nothing happens.