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While not every product can be as design-savvy as an iPhone or the McDonald's arches, it’s fair to expect at least some level of common sense, user friendliness and aesthetic appeal. Sadly, that’s not always the case.

Whether it’s as basic as an advertising leaflet or product packaging, or something more advanced like a window display or a shiny billboard, not all design is fail-proof. There’s even a corner on Reddit called Design Fails dedicated to the most notorious faux pas in the design world.

Below we wrapped up some of the most eyebrow-raising examples that make you wonder how on earth they got approved.

To find out more about what happens when a design turns out not as good as it was anticipated, Bored Panda reached out to Laura Vanagaite, an international freelance graphic designer who specializes in branding and social media content creation.

According to Laura, using the word ‘bad’ regarding design is not quite correct. Yet, it doesn't matter what we call it, the reality stays the same: “we judge design work anyway for its design and our eye catches mistakes very fast,” Laura explained.

The graphic designer explained that this is because “our brain needs less than a second to bring up a judgment, and way more time to rationalize on the topics of ‘bad’ and ‘good.’”

“Once we spot a mistake, we tend to stop collaborating with the agency or brand because we believed that they are more reliable and able to deliver a good result. If the final result is made with mistakes, you definitely don’t want to waste your time to clean up a mess again and as well pay for the badly done service,” Laura explained.

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She added that in the end, for any business, it is important to build concrete trust with the customers.

#8

Click Here On A Newspaper

Click Here On A Newspaper

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When asked who is in charge of the mistakes left in the final design, Laura said: “When most people hear ‘human error’ they do not see the details, they see the person who is completely to blame.” There can also be some sort of communication issue or the fact that a designer was less skilled. “But this should always be foreseen by the manager who is in charge from the beginning,” Laura said.

#9

Congrats

Congrats

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ginny weasley
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure the more correct "You are a Cancer" would really be any better

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“When you hire an expert in any field, you expect that things will be done the right way and that the mistakes that you would have made won’t happen. If it is a team, it means that the project manager did not pay attention to the final design and just approved it without looking, which shows a lack of professionalism and also not caring too much about the client and the project,” Laura explained.

#12

There Are So Many Interpretations

There Are So Many Interpretations

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We also asked Laura about how the designs get approved and how they reach the end consumers. She said that the design gets evaluated by personal preferences.

“To define the role of the client and designer, from the beginning there should be a clear brief from the clients' side and as well the designer should come up with the most important questions which will be solved in the design process.”

#15

Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness....i Think

Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness....i Think

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Nacho Man Sandy Ravage
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My god are you panda's all dense?? It clearly says "Ilibe lferty nad, etph rsopf pies, uthans iu"

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#16

Yeet

Yeet

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blobby_grrl
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My stupid maths brain be like: "now what IS wrong with this picture...🤔🤔"

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Another step is the design-review approval which, Laura said, “is typically done by either a design-review board or with the project manager. Once everything gets approved from the management part, then it can be sent to the client to receive either corrections or the complete approval.”

Laura concluded that communication is key and designers should not be left alone during the process. “It is teamwork and the support both from the management part and the creative part is a must.”

#18

Just Stop It With These, Please

Just Stop It With These, Please

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They're Right

They're Right

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Ches Yamada
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh. I kind of wanted to post the "hurr durr" comment again... seems fitting.

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#24

This Is Why I Have Trust Issues

This Is Why I Have Trust Issues

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#25

Be Careful Your Wii May Be Tempted To Drive The Car

Be Careful Your Wii May Be Tempted To Drive The Car

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Astor.exe
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wiiii its so fun to drive car *crashes* *ambulance arrives* wiiiioooiiiiiooooiiiiiooo

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#27

That's Some Long Arm

That's Some Long Arm

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MacFrog
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This seems to be an advertisement for remote control extenders, so I'd say this is intentional.

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#29

Interesting Bus Seat Design

Interesting Bus Seat Design

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Domi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you want to see it, you see it, if you have a calm mind, you don't realize it.

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#30

Imma Leave This Here

Imma Leave This Here

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