In a world shaped by design, every detail is an art, and every idea contains wisdom.
Designing it is not just a decoration of the appearance, but also the perfect combination of function and practicality.
However, in this seemingly well-designed world, there are sometimes hidden "anti-human" designs that make people laugh and cry.
These designs may be creative and unique, but they can be confusing and even maddening when it comes to practicality.
The world of design should be a harmonious coexistence of reason and beauty, and an interweaving and integration of science and art.
In their pursuit of uniqueness and innovation, designers may sometimes inadvertently overlook the most basic human needs.
These "anti-human" designs, while extremely creative, bring inconvenience and even challenges in practical use.
So what kind of design logic is it that makes these products so ungrounded?
1. Counter-intuitive user interface
In the digital age, user interface (UI) design has become a key factor in measuring whether a product is good or not.
However, in this pursuit of innovation, some designers seem to have gone into the wrong way and created some interface designs that make users scratch their heads.
These designs are often filled with obscure icons and a labyrinthine menu structure that confuses and even frustrates users during their use.
For example, the main interface of some apps is cluttered with icons and buttons that have neither clear labels nor intuitive instructions.
Users wander through these interfaces like looking for an exit in a maze with no signage, which is time-consuming and laborious.
What's more, some commonly used functions are hidden under layers of submenus, and users need to perform a series of complex operations to reach their destination, which undoubtedly greatly reduces the efficiency of use.
Other designers deliberately use abstract and unconventional icons instead of traditional, user-familiar symbols in their quest for uniqueness and avant-garde.
As a result, these "innovations" not only do not bring new experiences to users, but instead create barriers to understanding.
Users often have to spend extra time learning and adapting to these unfamiliar symbols, which obviously ignores the importance Xi of user experience.
Second, the crooked blind road
On the streets of the city, the blind alleys are supposed to guide the visually impaired as guiding them safely.
However, some blind alley designs in reality seem to have forgotten this original intention and have become a puzzling labyrinth.
These crooked, twisty and bizarre blind alleys not only fail to effectively guide the visually impaired, but also increase their difficulty in traveling.
Ideally, the blind alley should be direct and clear, but in some places the blind alley is like a random graffiti line, winding, and sometimes even terminating for no reason, or leading directly to an obstacle.
This design makes the visually impaired have to be careful when walking and be constantly alert to possible obstacles, which in itself is a disrespect to them.
There is also the "landscape blind road" design in the blind road.
This design tends to focus more on aesthetics than practicality, and the seemingly elegant passage through flower beds and around decorations creates additional challenges for the visually impaired to navigate.
They walk on such blind paths as if they are on an aimless expedition, and every step is likely to encounter unexpected obstacles.
What's more, blind roads are often ignored and become a place for parking and stacking debris. This irresponsible behavior is undoubtedly a serious violation of the rights and interests of the visually impaired.
The existence of the blind alley is to provide a safe and smooth walking environment for the visually impaired, but when it is arbitrarily encroached upon, its own meaning is lost.
When designing blind alleys, designers need to deeply understand the needs of the visually impaired and consider the difficulties they may encounter in their daily travel.
A good blind road design is not only a reasonable planning of urban space, but also a manifestation of social inclusion and humanistic care.
Third, the design of sneakers is troublesome
In the world of sneaker design, innovation and functionality are often the driving force. Designers are constantly exploring to provide a better sports experience.
However, in this quest for perfection, there is one problem that has been overlooked - that is, the problem that the soles of sneakers are easy to get stuck on small stones.
This seemingly small design flaw actually has a profound impact on the experience of sports enthusiasts.
Imagine returning from a morning run and finding a few small stones stuck tightly in the soles of your shoes.
Not only are these small stones difficult to clean, but they also constantly cause discomfort to the soles of the feet during exercise, and may even lead to a change in pace, increasing the risk of injury.
Such a design clearly ignores the most basic needs of sneakers: comfort and safety.
In pursuit of better grip and shock absorption, the sole design of sneakers has become more and more complex, and irregular textures and grooves of different shades have become a "paradise" for stuck stones.
Material selection considerations did not fully anticipate this problem, making the sole more likely to fall into this dilemma.
In response to this problem, some sneaker brands have begun to try solutions.
For example, design a smoother sole texture to reduce the use of deep grooves, or use a harder material to reduce the chance of stones getting stuck.
However, these solutions are often a compromise between grip and comfort, and designers need to find a balance between the two.
In addition to design improvements, the development of new materials may provide another solution.
If a new material could be invented, it would be a breakthrough in sneaker design if it could be invented to be lightweight and less prone to stone seizure, while also having good wear resistance and shock absorption.
Fourth, the bathroom is difficult to identify
Walking into a modern shopping mall, restaurant, or office building, bathroom signage often becomes an art of exploration.
In the pursuit of creativity and uniqueness, designers sometimes forget the fundamental purpose of these logos – guidance and convenience.
As a result, many people find themselves standing in front of the bathroom door in a moment of urgent need, but they can't quickly tell which is the men's and which is the women's restroom.
These illegible restroom signs are often overly abstract or artistic.
Some signs try to express gender differences through minimalist lines, while others use ambiguous graphics or colors.
While these designs may be visually appealing, they are less user-friendly in practice.
Visitors have to spend extra time deciphering the symbols, especially in emergency situations, where the inconvenience of this design is particularly apparent.
Another problem with this design is that it may inadvertently ignore inclusivity.
For people with color blindness or visual impairment, signs that are too complex or rely on a specific color can be difficult to identify.
This not only makes it more difficult for them to use public facilities, but it can also be embarrassing and inconvenient for them.
When designing a logo like this, designers need to take into account the diverse user base.
A good restroom logo design should be intuitive and easy to understand, while also taking into account the needs of different users.
For example, the use of internationally accepted male and female symbols, or with clear text descriptions, can greatly reduce the confusion of users.
5. Unreasonable socket design
In modern home and office environments, sockets are an important bridge between electricity and everyday equipment.
Sometimes, however, this widely used widget becomes a problem due to design oversights.
Especially in the case of the coexistence of different types of plugs, the design of the socket is particularly prominent.
A common problem is that many sockets are not designed to allow for the coexistence of plugs of different sizes.
For example, the sockets in the home are often designed with two holes at the top and three holes at the bottom, which can theoretically meet the needs of different devices.
However, when we try to use both types of plugs at the same time, we often find that it is not possible.
Because once one plug occupies its place, the other plug often cannot be inserted due to volume problems, and the irrationality of this design is especially obvious in daily use.
In addition, with the popularity of modern electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, etc., their supporting chargers usually have larger charging heads.
Once plugged into an outlet, these bulky charging heads are likely to block the next jack and prevent the rest of the outlet from being used efficiently.
For those users who need to charge multiple devices at the same time, this undoubtedly adds a lot of inconvenience.
Another problem is the placement of the sockets, which in many cases are either too high to be easily used, or too low to be easily blocked by furniture.
In an office environment, improper socket placement can lead to messy cables and even pose a safety hazard.
In response to these problems, designers can consider several areas of improvement.
The first is the layout design of the sockets, which can be considered to use more flexible arrangements, such as modular design, allowing users to freely combine jacks according to their own needs.
The second is to design a wider jack spacing considering the size of modern device chargers, ensuring that even larger charger plugs do not interfere with each other.
Finally, the location design of the socket needs to be more suitable for the actual use scenarios of users, such as in the home, considering the layout of furniture, and in the office environment, considering the convenience of cable management.
epilogue
In this era shaped by design, every detail of our daily life is the crystallization of designer's wisdom and creativity.
However, when design is detached from the basic principles of practicality and humanity, it can become a laughable puzzle.
These design questions remind us that the fundamental purpose of design is to solve problems and improve the quality of life, not just to pursue visual uniqueness or technological innovation.
A successful design should be human-centered, take into account the needs of different users, and be easy to use and have aesthetic value.
Design should not be an obstacle in life, but an enabler in life.