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Some product designs have been around so long that we often take their convenience for granted. We all know that everyday items like keys or forks are designed with specific characteristics so that they can actually be practical in our day-to-day lives. But have you ever wondered how these same objects would look if they were intentionally created to make your life miserable?
If you're curious about such absurd design choices, look no further than the subreddit r/AwesomelyUseless. There, you'll find the finest collection of the most bizarre "upgrades" made by designers. While these creations may overall look great, they serve absolutely no practical purpose and might infuriate you instead. Reflecting on these useless items might lead us to consider how people with special needs might feel when faced with everyday objects that are difficult or even impossible to use.
So, next time you reach for a regular old fork or key, take a moment to appreciate the thought that some professional has put into designing it to make your life somewhat better.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I’m Sure You’ve All Seen This Before, But I’m Posting It Anyway
Giles McArdell 2 years ago
"I bought some dehydrated water, but didn't know what to add" (Steven Wright)
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#2
Just Incase You Didn't Have Enough Trouble Finding Normal Golfballs
#3
This Is Some Platform 9¾ Level Cycle Path
#4
You Need A Trolley And An Owl To Get Off Of This Escalator
#5
Make Your Baby Do The Cleaning
#6
I've Been Wondering How I Should Rewind Dvd's All This Time
#8
I Actually Really Want One Of These
#9
Not Only Is This Useless, It Looks Like Even More Work
Averysleepypanda 2 years ago
Oooh but I love the feel and sound of a typewriter so although useless I still want lol
#10
This Has To Be A Joke Right?
#11
What's The Point?
Spannermonkey 2 years ago
It's a 2-way mirror and the inside coating peeled off where they've put the sign.
#12
Well Crap, There Goes My Dinner Plan!
#13
This Picture Really Brings Light To One Of The Most Useless Gadgets Ever
#14
The Sole Reason For These $425 Gold Pills Is To Make Your Excrement Glittery
#15
I Thought I’d Seen It All... But Nope, USB Pet Rock
#16
There’s One Key Flaw In This Design
#17
This Sun Visor That Blocks Nothing
#18
Stylish Diving Is The New Trend
#19
I'm Sure It Has A Great View, But Good Luck Getting There!
#20
I Bet They Made Some Serious Dough Selling These
#21
Because Your Guinea Pigs Can't Go Around Looking Cute And Adorable!
#22
No More Losing Remotes Down The Side Of The Couch
#23
Perfect For On The Go Viewing When You're Out Of Data!
#24
I Hope These Never Catch On
JL 2 years ago
To be underpants for your hands, you'd need pants for your hands to cover them up. I guess they are sold separately.
Mary Peace 2 years ago
The actual pants are called 'gloves'. Available now at a store near you!
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Robert T 2 years ago
Was actually contemplating whether something like this existed, as I had a small op on the back of my hand and the bulky dressing is driving me nuts as i can't hold things properly. Even better if the fly works so that you can scratch an itch. :D
Leoninus Fate 2 years ago
wow wait til they hear about this thing called gloves, its gonna rock there "pants" off
Amelia Jade 2 years ago
When my youngest was little his eczema on his hands was really bad. He had to wear lotion and gloves to bed. He hated it. We got him a pair of these and he loved them.
Janet Graham 2 years ago
I always thought they were just fingerless gloves. My question is if they make them for women, too.
Glass Ghost 2 years ago
Nobody remembers these? These are actually such an old thing lol there's an article dating back to 2009 about these things
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 2 years ago
This is a joke gift, seen at the adult novelty store at the mall.
Lord Voldedork 2 years ago
"DD" produced a few items on this list. Wonder what's going on over there
#25
Take The Goldfish For A Walk
#26
It’s A Dog Eat Dog World
#27
Does This Offend Eastern Cultures Less?
Greenmantle 2 years ago
I think that's actually really clever. Want to use chopsticks? Fine, use the ends. Need a spoon? Use the other end.
#28
Picnic Pants
#29
This Looks Like Something Only Lady Gaga Would Wear
#30
Peel The Potato And Your Skin, 2 For 1!
Donna Peluda 2 years ago
I had one of these. There was a cover you put over the blade you weren't using that double as a handle. Very practical. I lost it in a move and still keep an eye out to see if I can find one.
#31
Because Cracking An Egg Is So Difficult
Undercover 2 years ago
No wonder the oceans are full of plastic waste... Who produces this bullshitt? And is there anyone of sane mind buying things like these?
#33
Good Luck Doing Any Sums That Involve 1's
#34
What Could Be Cooler Than A Watermelon Coo... Oh Never Mind
#35
This Door Doesn’t Even Lock
#36
I Would Pay Good Money To Watch Someone Try And Water Their Garden With This
#37
Lip-Stick This Thing In The Bin
#38
You’d Wine A Lot About It If Someone Bought You This
#39
"Every Inch Matters"
#40
You Can't Even Eat The Cone After
#41
Health And Safety Has Gone Mad
#42
I'm Sure These Are Extremely Effective
#43
Bingo But Every Card Is The Same !merry Christmas
#45
Inflatable Neck Brace?
Spannermonkey 2 years ago
Well, some mornings I reckon I'd happily wear one of them and stick about 45psi in it to straighten-out the kinks.
#46
A Tool That Can Slice Hot Dogs Into Little Hot Dog People, That Kids Can Then Devour Without Mercy
Anon Ymous 2 years ago (edited)
Can we call the majority of this list what it really is? Dystopian level mindless consumerism.
#47
You’d Have To Be A Mug To Buy This
#48
Let Me Introduce You To The Cuecat, The Early 2000 Home Barcode Scanner
#49
But You Couldn't Just Use A Bag?
#50
Is This The Most Spoilt Goldfish There Has Ever Been?
Liam Walsh 2 years ago
No. This would be a very unlucky goldfish: "moving the tank or the fish can cause great upheaval. It can even lead to injuries and stress-related sicknesses among your fish."
#51
Really?
#52
Absolutely Pointless, And Yet I Want One
Giles McArdell 2 years ago
Useful for parties when you have a plate of food in one hand and a fork in the other.
#53
It's Probably More Effort Getting This Thing Out To Use Than It Is To Just Press The Buttons
Two_rolling_black_eyes 2 years ago
Not everyone has two functional hands. This is an old picture of an occupational therapy device for stroke victims.
#54
The Whole Thing Is A Ramp
Giles McArdell 2 years ago
Perhaps having the handrails there is useful - any wheelchair users care to enlighten us?
#55
More Like Bay Leaf This One On The Shelf And Don’t Buy It
Jess S. 2 years ago
This is how they mostly package bay leaves. Cheaper for them to use the containers that they use for their spices than to make special ones just for bay leaves. I buy these all the time and I have never seen them in a bottle without holes. Except at Asian markets, some come in plastic bags.
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What do you think ?
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
Cute... and... we all know that more than half of these are items that were created **specifically** for the purpose of looking like it could be useful, but upon closer inspection is ridiculous, right?? They're NOT actual you-can-buy-off-shelf items . I remember some of these circulating in a book back in the 90s... Japanese term is "Chindogu" - look it up.
Tracy Wallick 2 years ago
A lot of these were from an artist who deliberately designed the most frustrating products possible
Apple Jakes 2 years ago
I think Katerina Kamprani's comedic design work has been misrepresented in this post. Check out TheUncomfortable.com
Deborah Rubin 2 years ago
A lot of these photos are really, really old. The "new" comments don't really make them better.
Rostit . 2 years ago
crop, copy paste, crop copy paste. Many of these are from the dawn of the internet.
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Jeff Diamond 2 years ago
Not going to lie, I think I've seen most of these on Wish or Temu. Bizarre.
Mary Peace 2 years ago
So they weren't mostly designed as a joke/ art piece/ gag gift, etc? I think we should be told. I loved this article, I was fascinated but also confused!
Load More Replies... ဗSailor Moonဗ 2 years ago
These all give me 5 Miniute crafts vibes and I hate that I love the stupidity of the stuff
Mary Peace 2 years ago
Why read it if you don't like it? I love it, just dragging myself away now.
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Rick Drew 2 years ago
Oh gods. Most of there are fake, never made, just for clicks. Many are also from gag gift boxes. You put the real gift in the gag box.
Mary Peace 2 years ago
So was the picture on here just the picture from the gag box? Even if a joke or an art piece, I thought the picture was real. Am I being naive?
Load More Replies...
D. Pitbull 2 years ago
Cute... and... we all know that more than half of these are items that were created **specifically** for the purpose of looking like it could be useful, but upon closer inspection is ridiculous, right?? They're NOT actual you-can-buy-off-shelf items . I remember some of these circulating in a book back in the 90s... Japanese term is "Chindogu" - look it up.
Tracy Wallick 2 years ago
A lot of these were from an artist who deliberately designed the most frustrating products possible
Apple Jakes 2 years ago
I think Katerina Kamprani's comedic design work has been misrepresented in this post. Check out TheUncomfortable.com
Deborah Rubin 2 years ago
A lot of these photos are really, really old. The "new" comments don't really make them better.
Rostit . 2 years ago
crop, copy paste, crop copy paste. Many of these are from the dawn of the internet.
Load More Replies... Jeff Diamond 2 years ago
Not going to lie, I think I've seen most of these on Wish or Temu. Bizarre.
Mary Peace 2 years ago
So they weren't mostly designed as a joke/ art piece/ gag gift, etc? I think we should be told. I loved this article, I was fascinated but also confused!
Load More Replies... ဗSailor Moonဗ 2 years ago
These all give me 5 Miniute crafts vibes and I hate that I love the stupidity of the stuff
Mary Peace 2 years ago
Why read it if you don't like it? I love it, just dragging myself away now.
Load More Replies... Rick Drew 2 years ago
Oh gods. Most of there are fake, never made, just for clicks. Many are also from gag gift boxes. You put the real gift in the gag box.
Mary Peace 2 years ago
So was the picture on here just the picture from the gag box? Even if a joke or an art piece, I thought the picture was real. Am I being naive?
Load More Replies... You May Like People On Reddit Are Sharing Hilariously Useless Talents That They Have And Here Are 30 Of The Best Ones 50 Times People Couldn't Help But Notice That These Things Look Like Other Things
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