50 Times People Committed Horrible Design Decisions (New Pics)

We asked Johnson, the host of the human nature and marketing psychology blogs, about the steps that designers can take to make sure the end product is a quality one. "Designers play a vital role in creating products that are not only beautiful but also function well and meet the needs of the people who will use them. The first step is understanding the 'who' and the 'what': 'who' they are designing it for, and 'what' they plan on using it for," he shed some light on the issue.

"The 'who' is paramount. First and foremost, designers need to listen to the people who will use their products. This means talking to potential users, gathering feedback, and conducting research to truly understand what these users want and need. This initial step is crucial because if a product doesn't meet the real needs of its audience, it won't be considered high-quality, no matter how polished it looks," Johnson explained to Bored Panda.

The author of 'Branding that Means Business' said that once designers have a good grasp of what users want, they then set out to create clear objectives and goals for their designs. Having a plan here is paramount. "They need a clear roadmap to follow, like a GPS guiding them to their destination. These objectives help keep the project on track and ensure that the end product fulfills its intended purpose."

On top of that, collaboration can be a big asset when it comes to creating quality—Johnson calls it a key ingredient. "Designers must work closely with various teams, including engineers, marketers, and quality assurance professionals. Their input and expertise are invaluable in ensuring that the design aligns with both technical feasibility and market expectations. Collaboration fosters innovation and helps avoid potential roadblocks down the road."

Finally, the designer has to focus on prototyping and iteration to fine-tune everything. "Designers often create rough drafts, known as prototypes, to get a sense of how the final product might look and feel. They share these with users to gather feedback, helping them to improve the design incrementally. Think of it like sculpting with a piece of clay—it gets better with each pass."

In the meantime, we were curious what the consumer psychology specialist would advise designers who can't seem to choose between two seemingly equally good designs. "A product designer can consider a few factors to make the decision," the host of the human nature and marketing psychology blogs told Bored Panda.

"First, they should revisit the initial objectives and goals of the project. Which design aligns better with these goals and the intended user experience? Second, they can involve potential users or stakeholders to gather their opinions and preferences. Sometimes, a fresh perspective can highlight subtle differences that make one design more appealing," the expert listed what designers should consider when making the choice.

"Third, think about practical aspects like cost, production feasibility, and maintenance requirements. Which design is more cost-effective or easier to produce and maintain in the long run? Last but not least, consider the long-term impact and adaptability of the design. Will one design accommodate potential future changes or trends better than the other?" he said.

"Making the choice might involve a combination of these factors, guided by a deep understanding of the project's core objectives and the needs of the end users. Ultimately, there's no risk-free scenario here, as there is always a bit of uncertainty about how a product will be used and interpreted in the real world," he said.

But by testing, iterating, and gathering as much data as possible, product designers can hedge their bets to the more likely option," Johnson shared. To read more of his insights, be sure to check out his human nature and marketing psychology blogs where he tackles a variety of interesting topics.

The awful design-focused subreddit is an integral part of Reddit as a whole. If you ever go on the site, it’s very likely that you’ve seen their posts in your feed.

At the time of writing, the sub has been around for over 12 years. The community currently stands at 3.8+ million members and it seems like it’ll continue to grow. Things might change, but bad designs are a timeless classic!

All active members are expected to maintain a high level of quality in terms of what they submit, from the content itself to the descriptions. For one, their posts have to be related to bad designs, otherwise, they may end up getting removed.

Low-effort and low-quality posts can also end up being trashed if the moderators feel like they don’t meet the standards they set for the community.

Aside from that, all redditors are expected to avoid common reposts and steer clear of bad software design posts (those belong on other, more tech-focused online groups).

Memes are also to be avoided: the design fails should be obvious to the audience without having to poke fun at it with image macros. As in other parts of Reddit, all members of the sub are to respect their fellow internet users and treat them with dignity.

Even though taste can be a very subjective and individual thing, there are some universal design rules that help differentiate between ideas that work and ones that are bound to fail miserably.

At its core, bad design is about an inability to do what’s expected of it. Say, for instance, if a product is unwieldy or hard to use, or a poster doesn’t inform the audience of what it should.

Design legend Dieter Rams had 10 principles of design that practically everyone in the field knows. According to him, good design should be innovative, instead of rehashing the same old ideas over and over again. As such, designers need to start thinking outside of the box, instead of focusing only on derivative projects. Otherwise, you’ll end up stagnating.

In the meantime, products have to be useful, as well as aesthetic. And these two concepts have to flow into one another. Designers who focus purely on aesthetics will find that nobody will want to use their products because they’re user-unfriendly.

Meanwhile, products that are purely functional might appeal to extreme minimalists, but others might steer clear of them due to how bland they look.

Rams believes that well-designed products should be easy to understand. Someone who looks at them should immediately know what they do and how to use them. Ideally, the products would also be designed in such a way as to make them last as long as possible and be eco-friendly to avoid waste.

The same principles broadly apply to architecture and public spaces as well. "A modern design should not only look beautiful, but it should also be functional and serve a purpose,” the founder of the ‘Call it Design’ project on Instagram explained to Bored Panda during a previous interview.

“A well-designed space should feel open and uncluttered, with each element having a purpose and contributing to the overall aesthetic," the design expert said.

"[The] space should not only be beautiful and functional now. It should also stand the test of time and continue to look relevant and modern for years to come,” they told us about the importance of thinking ahead into the future.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the designs featured in this list, dear Pandas. Which ones did you personally think were the worst of the bunch and why? Were there any products or graphics that you thought weren’t all that bad? Scroll down to the comment section to share your opinions. In the meantime, for some more splendidly horrendous design fails, take a peek at Bored Panda’s earlier posts.