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Whoever Designed These 50 Things Deserves Jail Time, But Will Have To Settle Being Shamed In This Group Instead (New Pics)
There are moments in all of our lives when we look around, astonished, wondering where all the quality went and why we’re surrounded by low-effort, unaesthetic garbage. American science fiction author and critic Theodore Sturgeon is credited for coming up with the idea that “ninety percent of everything” is going to be rubbish. It’s known as Sturgeon’s Law, and its effects can be seen in all areas of life, including design.
That’s where this massively popular subreddit comes in. It’s an online group that is dedicated to sharing the most epic and legendary design fails that range from cringe-worthy to beyond ridiculous. We’ve compiled a list of the latest worst offenders for you to enjoy, Pandas.
Bored Panda reached out to Matt Johnson, PhD, to hear his thoughts on Sturgeon's Law and how it applies in modern times, as well as how bad products can affect the reputation of an entire brand. He was kind enough to shed some light on the topic and revealed how the emotionality of a consumer can actually trump the functionality of the product. Johnson, PhD, is a neuroscientist, founder of the Human Nature Blog, and author of Branding That Means Business. You'll find our full interview with him below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Fly To Europe And Have A Stroke
"Although Sturgeon’s Law is not based on any empirical evidence, it does contain a kernel of truth. And while the 90% threshold is up for considerable debate, this loose figure seems to capture the general consumer sentiment towards content and products," Johnson explained to Bored Panda.
"It also speaks to the general threshold for subjective appreciation of art, products, and creative output: since there is so much out there, the consumer must triage. You can’t think everything is amazing, or 'amazing' becomes meaningless. In this way, regardless of the intrinsic quality of the goods, they’ll appreciate and enjoy the top ~10%."
RELATED:
#2
A Life-Changing Experience
#3
This Map At A Coffee Shop
Cat Chat 2 years ago
India is just as odd. Well, it's all a bit "everything wrong". 🙄
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Becklass 2 years ago
The uk is attached to mainland Europe now. Paris has migrated its way north. The Mediterranean has gone on holiday to the Middle East.
sylvantic 2 years ago
Singapore is no longer an island (desertification of the ocean?), Europe is now in West Asia, Russia got bigger, and someone took a bite out of Alaska.
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Shayne Randlett 2 years ago
"Drunk Brothers Maps, may I help you? You want a map of the earth on your cafe wall? No problem - we'll be right out"
David 2 years ago
When your 5th grade teacher gives you a blank map and a list of names and says you have 15 minutes to complete the quiz.
Ivy_Fox 2 years ago (edited)
texas, new york, canada, & india is just foul. we can't even speak about "artic ocean"
Bill Tinsley 2 years ago
The map was so bad I didn't even notice "artic ocean"
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Michał Osiecki 2 years ago
I immediatelly checked if there is no russia :D
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Ellie Ahmed 2 years ago (edited)
I am convinced the only way this could be so wrong is that the designer was deliberately trolling by seeing how many obvious errors they could make and still get somebody to pay for it. Surely. Either that or the customer tried to screw them on the payment so they deliberately sabotaged it
SobyKay 2 years ago
Are u sure it was a coffee shop? Not a bar where someone over-indulged before creating this monstrosity?
Annik Perrot 2 years ago
Maybe coffee-shop as in Amsterdam, where they sell cannabis...
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RenaissanceWaffle 2 years ago
Texas and New York are currently at war for North America, whilst the Korea empire spreads across Asia
hitex 2 years ago
I saw this in a local restaurant too! I was so distracted I stopped halfway thru placing my order
Sonia M 2 years ago
Does that mean that this is some kind of design you can order??
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funkybluegirl 2 years ago
Poor New Zealand. I say that as an American who's awful when it comes to geography. 🫤
SoozeeQ 2 years ago
At least they included New Zealand. An awful lot of maps seem to leave them off, for some weird reason.
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Quarkbeast 2 years ago
The person who drew this map must have gone school in Texas - they're famous for misinformation. And before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, I live there so I know how c**p they are.
liam newton-harding 2 years ago
When the painter is on their 10th cup of coldbrew, and 11teenth shot of espresso.
Eric Forster 2 years ago
Korea has conquered China? When did that happen? And has India engaged stealth mode?
not batman 2 years ago
they even got australia wrong!! we all know that Australia is meant to be upside down
Kelly Kenrick 2 years ago
They didn’t spell Arctic correctly, and where is Canada supposed to be? Greenland?
Diplodocus Dinosaur 2 years ago
Very stupid… or clever? 🤔 Might be a commercial trick to make people remember the ”place with that crappy map”. Advertising sometimes works even better when you make people annoyed or upset - the stronger you feel about something the better you remember it.
Riley Quinn 2 years ago
Texas is North of New York. Okie dokie. Must be a graduate of a US public school. BTW, Canada, which is larger than USA, is the second largest country in the world. The world needs more Canada and less USA.
Lindy Mac 2 years ago
Who ever made this wall "art" needs to back to high school and learn where countries are... just 4 examples there are too many to name all the errors: That is not India... it is Madagascar. That is not Canada... it is Greenland.That is not Texas it is Canada. That is not the Artic Ocean it is the Arctic Ocean
Masaya Ichikawa 2 years ago (edited)
Imagine there's no Russia It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us, only sky Imagine all the people Living for today [Verse 2] Imagine there's no China It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace You
Casey Payne 2 years ago
Artwork from the imaginative minds and best guess work of the US public school system, as a counter argument to Woke Disney - "It's a Small World after all".
Allen Beloe 2 years ago
It says it at the top ... It's "Artic" never mind that Korea unified and took over China
Ember Ardoni 2 years ago
At least Africa is in the right place. And yes, Texas is definitely the size of Canada.
Sinnsyk Jakte 2 years ago
I want to slap the everliving [BLEEP] out of the person responsible for this.
Weasel Wise 2 years ago
Looks about right....why wouldn't Texas take over Canada? I absolutely know they would if given the chance.
David Smith 2 years ago
Just because all Texans would rather live in Canada does not mean we are moving!
Rachel Smith 2 years ago
Wtffffff . Someone needs to go back to school, or just look at a map every once in a while
Annik Perrot 2 years ago
Can't even recognize France's rather characteristic shape. Spain, Italy and Greece are all wrong, too.
That Goth Demon 2 years ago
"No, I didn't do my geography classes in highschool, why'd you ask boss?"
Kise Miarse 2 years ago
I don't think Texans would last long if we relocated it up there . . .
Tetelestai 2 years ago
Immediately thought of Meet The Robinsons, when what’s-that-state is called North Montana in the future
Amanda Rose 2 years ago
What on earth happened to Scandinavia? Those shapes look like distorted birds.
According to the neuroscientist, the law has become even more true now, in 2023. In his opinion, the threshold for how much rubbish is created now is "likely raised to 95% or higher," as more and more people have the tools to put their work and products on the market. "This comes down to the rise of digital media, generative AI, and the incredible ease of self-producing. As the skill and capital requirements to create new products have become less and less, the sheer volume of creative works has exploded," Johnson said.
"And while this has increased the number of exceptional works, it has also made it harder for people to separate the good from the bad, making their thresholds even higher."
Bored Panda was very interested to learn about the emotional aspect of consumers evaluating the quality of products. We were also curious whether a single bad product could have a large impact on the reputation of an entire brand. "The emotional component is huge," Johnson told us.
#4
The Land Is Blue And The Water Is White. I Am Not Proud To Say That I Spent Multiple Minutes Trying To Figure Out Why All The Cities Were Underwater
#5
For Reasons Unknown, South America Has Completely Been Replaced By Africa
#6
Just Feel Bad About This One, Good Intentions Gone Wrong
"If the consumer feels positively towards a product, 90% of the battle is won. In fact, emotionality can easily trump the functionality of the product; if a consumer feels good about it, they’re much more forgiving about how it works. For example, many argue that from a purely functional standpoint, the iPhone is inferior to the Google Pixel. But of course, the emotional feelings towards the iPhone (largely stemming from the Apple brand), easily overcome this and then some," the neuroscientist gave us an example of how this works.
Meanwhile, the reputation of any brand is closely tied to the reputation of the products it produces. "If the product dips below expectations, the reputation of the entire brand suffers." To reduce risk, brand managers spend a lot of time on brand architecture: creating distinct brands within a company's portfolio.
"For example, Volkswagen AG (the company) owns the Volkswagen brand, and also Porsche, Bentley, Ducati, etc. This de-risks the spillover effect across these brand assets. In this way, if something goes wrong with, for example, the Volkswagen Taureg, it won’t impact their perception of Porsche, etc."
#7
Slippery When Wet, I Fell Down Just Looking At The Picture
#8
My Son Who Just Started To Read, “Hell Baby. Hell Baby. Hell Baby!!!”
#9
Whoever Edited This Photo To Sell D&d Dice On Facebook Doesn't Know What They're Actually Used For
The bad design-focused subreddit has amassed a whopping 3.4 million members since it was established in 2011. And there’s a lot to love about the online group.
The community has a ridiculously good sense of humor, so you’re bound to see a lot of examples of low-quality designs that are going to get you to chuckle. What’s more, the entire sub is a crash course in taste. Or, well, rather the lack of it. If you work in any creative or design-related field, it’s a place that teaches you what mistakes to avoid.
Unsurprisingly, members of the subreddit are encouraged to stay on-message and only post examples of rubbish design. What this means, in practice, is that there has to be an obvious lack of taste or functionality seen in professional products. The key word here is ‘professional.’ So broken items, manufacturing defects, or clearly amateur designs don’t fit the bill here.
#10
I'll Take Your Sofa Kitchen And Raise You This Tangled Line Kitchen (With Line Covered Appliances Hidden Against The Wall)
#11
One Is A Toilet Cleaner, The Other Is For Washing Dishes. Choose Wisely
#12
The Words They Chose To Have Standout Color
Similarly, the multi-million-member community is told to be as original as possible. So if you’re a fresh-faced Reddit recruit, check out the sub’s top 150 posts so you know what not to share with the community. Everyone enjoys new content instead of the same old carousel of pics, so don’t be shy and do a bit of research.
Meanwhile, the team running the group points out that some designs aren’t bad, even if they might look like that on the surface. For instance, clocks with the Roman numeral 4 written as IIII instead of IV do not count. That’s because IIII is a common alternative way of writing IV. Again—research!
#13
Probably Wouldn't Be Such A Bad Idea If Every Angle Wasn't Slightly Off
#14
Door Knockers On Glass 👌🏻
#15
The Sweater I Bought Cannot Be Maintained
Skyla King 2 years ago
Come on. Just magically suck out the dirt with your magic wand. It’s not that complicated.
As elsewhere on the web, be as courteous to all the other internet users as you can. Legitimate discussions about design, aesthetics, and consumer culture are perfectly fine. So long as they don’t devolve into name-calling, spiteful comments, or sharing someone else’s personal info online. If you need any additional info about, well, anything, the sub has a detailed Wiki. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with the moderators.
#16
Each Of The Blue Dots On This Fire Escape Map Says “You Are Here”
#17
Every One Of Them Is Playing On The Wrong Side Of The Capo
Skyla King 2 years ago
The shadow of the bow on the violin looks like a cliche Italian guy’s mustache
#18
Probably The Worst Logo I've Ever Seen. It's For A Plastic Surgeon
Being a good designer means being great at communication and having unparalleled knowledge about your field. Tim Antoniuk, a design expert from the University of Alberta, previously told Bored Pada during an interview that a lot of responsibility rests solely on designers’ shoulders when it comes to the quality of a building project.
"It's hard, but that's why the best designers get paid so well for their outstanding work. They do great design/aesthetic work, but they also create efficiencies and they foresee and spot (some) problems from happening,” Antoniuk explained to us before.
#20
Pikachu What Have They Done To You!?
David 2 years ago (edited)
And yet still slightly less creepy than the pikachu vagina bouncy house. EDIT: To clarify, it is a large inflatable pikachu for kids to play in that has an unfortunate entrance point. Photos have been around for a long time but I guess a number of folks never saw it. Firestorm nicely provided a link. --- https://www.kotaku.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/21/qvhga8kihion1q2q7wtg.jpg?q=65&w=1280 ---
#21
This Poor Design On A Real Estate Agent's Building
"Many jobs can not just stop because a designer is not onsite or is not able to be reached. That said, builders need to honor the designer's vision, but again, if there is 'fuzziness' in the drawings or plans, decisions will be made by people that we may not want to make them,” the design expert said.
"We exist in a field that is ever-changing with the introduction of new materials, new construction requirements, and restrictions," Antoniuk told Bored Panda that a builder has to be able to communicate their vision to the contractors and stay on top of changes and novelties in their field of work.
#22
Sock Model Not Wearing Socks
#23
Restaurant Bathroom Sink, Made From... Wood
#24
Foll Is My Favorite Season
During another interview with us, Antoniuk explained to Bored Panda that good design often relates to ergonomics and “the usability and functionality of the products and services and systems.” Good design is intuitive, deeply sympathetic, empathetic to the user, and emotional. “It is a catalyst for giving us feelings,” the design expert said.
However, he noted that, in his opinion, “far too many people expect poor design that doesn’t really work well.”
#25
Quite The Opposite Of An Open Concept Kitchen
#26
Ad On The Road That Imitates Real Street Signs
#27
Business Center Logo Looks Like A Guy Taking A Dump
For some more awful and hilarious design decisions, take a peek at Bored Panda’s earlier features here, here, and here.
Meanwhile, feel free to drop by the comments and tell us all about the designs in this list that you loved to hate the most. We have our favorites in mind for the top spots, but what are yours?
#28
Toilets For Disabled People Are Located Upstairs In A Restaurant In Stockholm
#29
There Is No Way To Complete The Puzzle
HelluvaHedgehogAlien 2 years ago
I guess the moral of this story is that Cyril should settle with a leaf instead?
#30
Horse With Eyes On Front Of Its Head
#31
Simultaneously Too High And Too Low - This Dress
#32
The Last Two Steps On These Stairs Are Higher Than The Previous 50
#33
Tie Dye Socks That Look Like Someone Used Them As Toilet Paper
#34
This Shooting Range Ad That Shows A Gun Firing A Cartridge
#35
Ride On Spac Eship
#36
Prizes On Offer At The Clinic
#37
The Handle Of This Pan Is Heavier Than The Pan Itself, Making It Fall Over Immediately
#38
Stainless Steel Bench At The Beach. The Temperature Today Is 31°c
Shayne Randlett 2 years ago
A lot of beaches have grills so you can have a picnic. This beach lets you roast your own nuts
#39
Hotel Room Light Switch Hidden Behind Pillows, So You Wake Up Inexplicably In The Middle Of The Night
#40
Someone Put Up This Sign On A Corner Near Me
#41
This Infographic Uses Blue For Hot And Red For Cold
#42
I Now Have Trust Issues With Cooking Instructions
#43
“Thou Shalt Use 24 Point Font. Thou Shalt Not Use 23 Unless Immediately Proceeding To 24. 22 Is Right Out!
#44
My Grandma Bought A Condo That Was Built In 2018, I Just Noticed This
#45
Arms (Found On A Cruise Ship I Was On Last Week)
#46
May I Have A Wednesday, Please
#47
Good Old 'Ondon
Sergio Bicerra 2 years ago
"Panic on the streets of Ondon! Panic on the streets of Irmingham!"
#48
Neighbors Went Upscale In Their Sidewalk Replacement, But Picked Incredibly Slippery Pavers
#49
This Double Sided Exit Sign
#50
Mmm Yes, I Sure Do Love Living In Tevas
Michael Fernandez 2 years ago
I like my Tevas; they’re high quality sandals. I’m on my second pair in 28 years, and probably wear them ~100 days per year.
#51
Readability Comes Second
#52
Starbucks Duality Of Design
#53
Actual Logo For A Mexican Restaurant In My Town
#54
This Small Room Heater (Brand Krhüner), With The Grid Made Of Plastic. It Was Bought 4 Months Ago
#55
It Took Me A Few Beats To Realize 2312 Was Down This Hallway
#56
Press 2 To Get To The 3rd Level, Choose 5 Or 6 To Get To The 6th
Shayne Randlett 2 years ago
Looks like one of those "terrorism threat level" charts that were everywhere after 9/11
#57
The Button For Colors Is A White Shirt; The Button For Whites Is A Black Shirt
#58
I Don't Think Someone Thought This Through
#59
Real Politician In Maryland’s Real Fundraiser Flyer
Tucker Cahooter 2 years ago
Straight out of the web design handbook, 1995 edition. Be grateful it doesn't have blinking text
#60
This Is Just Terrifying
Shayne Randlett 2 years ago
I spent WAY too much time researching this. The guy in the picture IS the Timvision spokesman, but this picture was cut out of a legit ad and photoshopped onto the van. I love the ridiculous and wanted this to be real, but...alas.
#61
It's Not As Dramatic As Others Here, But I Can't Tell If I'm Crazy Or Not. This Ad Is Ugly As Hell, Isn't It?
crowspectre (he/they) 2 years ago
That's actually painful (it says anniversary if anyone else is trying to figure it out)
#62
What A Weird Choice Of Both Fonts For Writing The I’s
#63
Water Gets Stuck Inside Pot Lid From Steam That Won't Come Out
#64
This Pub Is Supposed To Be Called “Bunch Of Grapes” And I Saw This Unreadable Logo And Asked My Mate “How Far Is The Pub Then?”
#65
The Latest Addition In Front Of Westminster Abbey - “All Innocent Victims Of Remember Oppression Violence War”
#66
The Color Coding For This Graphic
#67
Who Designed This Mouse? I Tried It And It Is As Uncomfortable Ad It Looks
#68
Menu In UK - I'm Sure There's A Better Way To Get This Across? There Aren't Even 9 Different Dishes
#69
Didn’t Want To Shut It Anyway
#70
The Planets On My Son's New Rug Have Rings That Don't Go Around The Planet
#71
"Our Family Lion Print"
crowspectre (he/they) 2 years ago
Look just call it trans rep and ignore it (I'm trans don't downvote me)
#72
Assuming 5m Is Meters, Girl Must Be About 16ft Tall
#73
This "Safety Poster" That Corporate Sent Us To Print And Put Up In The Break Room
#74
The 1928 Nfl Champion Providence Steam Rollers Logo
#75
Took Me A While To Figure This One Out!
#76
I Set The Alarm Off At Least Twice A Week Inside My Own Pocket. All Buttons Are Recessed Except For Panic
Tetelestai 2 years ago
That’s so when you’re in a real emergency, you can just plonk yourself on the ground and it’ll go off and surprise your offenders… uhhh does anyone who hears alarms go off ever think it’s an emergency anymore though? I feel like their accidentally set off so much that people no longer regard them as associated with emergencies
#77
Happy New Year!
#78
A Beautiful Summor…
Firestorm Glow 2 years ago (edited)
Ah yes, Summor and Foll. Maybe Wintor or Wonter, and Sprong too!
#80
A Glass Sign Casting A Shadow On Itself. Every Placard In The Building Looks Like This
#81
He’s At The 30! The 40! The 30! The 40!
Tetelestai 2 years ago
I mean… they’re just socks… it’s obvious this was on purpose, because they were too lazy to make more yard lines with new numbers instead of repeating those two
#82
Terrible Restaurant Menu Design
Shayne Randlett 2 years ago
"Choose from our exclusive range of bespoke ice-creams with exotic flavours such as Strawberry, Chocolate, and Vanilla". If those flavors are exotic, I wonder what the regular flavors are like
#83
The Font On This Sign Is Really Hard To Read
StitchIsCuteAndFluffy 2 years ago
Translation: Alto Rango Bar and Restaurant (1721-580-7245). Now please excuse me as I go to make some prank calls… /s
#84
I Look At This Logo And Can't See Anything But "Ham Pass"
BeepBoop is Lonely (she/they) 2 years ago (edited)
for some reason I immediately saw hatpass. I don't think that's right...
#85
So Many Ways A Wheelchair User Can Get Injured
#86
These Toilet Cleaning Things Make Your Toilet Even Messier Looking
#87
On Heavens Knock Knock Knocking Door
#88
Odd Spacing? Check! Upside Down Letters? Check! Looks Like We Have A Winner. (Travel Agency Sign In Querétaro México)
#89
Shower Heater. I Was Having Cold Showers For A Few Days, Waiting For A Technician
#90
This Maze On My Apple Jacks Box Is Unsolvable
️ ️lefty libra️ 2 years ago
perfect opportunity missed to say "then we can make like an apple tree and leaf!" im sorry ill leaf.
#91
Why The Flag Of Czech Republic Is Upside Down
#92
This Puzzles Answer Is Wrong
#93
Happy Halloween Guys (This Is Supposed To Be Moon Knight)
#94
Oven Timer Dial With 4 Minute Increments
StitchIsCuteAndFluffy 2 years ago
I made it to the end! It’s almost midnight! (I’m so tired, but at least it’s Saturday — no wait, now it’s Sunday)
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What do you think ?
John Kiernan 2 years ago
How about using black ink instead of pale grey? First rule of typography: Make it legible.
John Kiernan 2 years ago
How about using black ink instead of pale grey? First rule of typography: Make it legible.
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