30 Times Designers Got Rightfully Shamed For Creating Things That Look Dirty By Default
For reasons known only to them, some designers make products look dirty. And that's usually not what you want.
Whether we're talking about jeans covered in brown stains or a floor brush that looks to be constantly covered in dust, these things can really play tricks on you.
But at least you can pass it on—people who have witnessed such exhibits in the wild are sharing their photos on the Internet, trying to see if they'll fool others as well.
Bored Panda collected a list of such images just for your enjoyment, so sit back, relax, and prepare to repeat "Why would someone create this?" with a judgemental chuckle for the next few minutes.
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This Rose Themed Bed Spread
It looks like there is a dead body wrapped in a sheet at the end of the bed also...
Lesbian couple that unfortunately synced periods for their little getaway
Oh lord... I laughed way too hard at that. Thanks!
Load More Replies...Good idea. No problem synchronizing the stains for every take with this monstrosity.
Load More Replies...If the police come and search your house, you're gonna have a lot of explaining to do.
Most of these images come from one subreddit, a place dedicated entirely to trashy design. In an earlier Bored Panda interview, the moderators of the online community said that most of its 2.4 million members probably go there for entertainment.
"However, it is common to have a meaningful discussion here on why or why not something is crappy design," they pointed out that some of the members actively participate in in-depth chats.
Plant Dyed Underwear On Etsy
Nothing will make you feel sexier than undies that look like it is stained with period, urine and s**t.
Maybe someone with some serious fetish would be interested?
Load More Replies...These aren't the clean underwear your mom meant for that hospital visit.
According to researcher and author Don Norman, there are principles of good design that help people to evaluate whether a product is a boon or a bust. For instance, Norman believes all good designs are innovative and push the boundaries of what an object means to us. But it doesn't mean that an inflatable pool with a yellow mat at the bottom, making it look like it is filled with urine, is to be celebrated.
Well-designed objects also have to be useful, beautiful to look at, easy to understand, and uncluttered in how they look.
These Restroom Tiles
It would have been easier to clean the first one rather than to camouflage it by adding new ones.
In Britain we often say 'errrr' in a disgusted tone, instead of 'ewww'. And that's what I said when I looked at those diarrhoea coloured splashes
Just saw a real-life picture hung up in a washroom showing the right way to take a bowel movement (sitting upright) and the wrong way (standing bent over at a 90 degree angle and letting it rip - this picture illustrates the need for that sign.
Yikes! I'll bet there are a lot of calls for maintenance if this is a public restroom.
5 Star Hotel Has These "Clean" Looking Coffee Cups
Why do something which looks good and is simple when you can do someything more complicated and which looks like crap?
Maybe the Star Hotel advertises that the coffee is free at the buffet table, but no one goes for it.
These are in the hotel rooms. There are tea bags, instant coffee and hot chocolate + cups and glasses to serve those for yourself.
Load More Replies...I worked in housekeeping. If it isn’t disposable don’t use it! I’ve watched housekeepers use one rag to first clean the shower, then the sink, then the toilet.. & THEN use that same rag to clean the glass cups & ice bucket. I was told “but I’m using cleaner, so it’s clean”. - More times by different people than I can count. And this was a lodge popular with celebrities & politicians, so don’t think paying more prevents shoddy housekeeping.
The Interaction Design Foundation explains that bad designs are overloaded with information and force the user to do more work than is necessary. Akshayta Rao writes that we all intuitively notice badly designed items but find it difficult to explain why good designs are, well, good. According to her, a well-known example of bad design would be USB cables. She’s right because we’ve all tried plugging them in the wrong way more than once. Some of us maybe even hundreds of times.
This Small Pool Has A Yellow Plastic Mat At The Bottom, Making It Look Like It Is Filled With Urine
Everyone also knows that all pools are full of piss :D
Load More Replies...Oh my, this one reminds me of a public toilet I saw once. I came in, I thought the previous person didn't pull the water. I immediately went out to pick another one and another. Then, annoyed, I pulled the water myself and... surprise, surprise! The water was just yellow! It was the colour of the cleaner that they put in the water that made it look like pee. Meanwhile, while peeing, I could overhear other people's same reactions as mine.
...so they made it piss coloured. Gee, how damn fun
Load More Replies...I know someone who insisted on having green pool tiles instead of blue, just to be different. The builders tried to convince her to stick with blue, they even ordered the wrong (blue!) tiles by ‘accident’ first. She had them sent back and insisted on green. Now that they’ve been installed, it’s become very obvious why people usually have blue pool tiles (spoiler alert: the water looks a very unhealthy, slimy green and not at all inviting.) But of course she would never admit that and I’m secretly laughing.
Maybe it looks better filled with red Jell-O and two wrestling strippers.
Upon Walking In This Bathroom At The Supermarket I Was Initially Disgusted At Filth And Lack Of Cleanliness Until A Closer Look Revealed It Was Designed This Way
Probably cos if it was solid white it would look dirty in no time. So would always need to be spotless. Whereas if it’s intentionally dirty looking, you can’t tell if it’s clean or not, so it just gets cleaned less often :/
Load More Replies...If This is truly the design (what I doubt) you may look on the floor and see why: nobody is cleaning here ever.
If they ever do, it is only with water and a dirty mop
Load More Replies...Reminds me of the bathrooms at one of the train stations I have been too. It wasn’t designed that way, it was filthy.
It Looks Like You Peed Your Pants
There is a fine line between bravery and foolishness... apparently.
Load More Replies...Looks like you peed your pants... if you had black pee. Of course if it was black I guess that would be the moment to not worry about peeing your pants
For one of our bad design lists, Bored Panda spoke about the principles of good design, the line between quality and bad design, as well as human beings' intuition to automatically feel what's designed well with Tim Antoniuk, an Associate Professor of Design Studies at the University of Alberta.
"The speed of change that we encounter today in our lives in the digital environment that we live in, I believe that some great design is not necessarily timeless. One example is seen in Interface Design, Ux Design, and in-service design. As new layers get added into our lives, things naturally have an evolutionary cycle. This is different from furniture which naturally can be more ubiquitous and designed to fit the human body. There is a great deal of fuzziness in this discussion but I do believe that the essence of this idea is true," Antoniuk explained.
It Looks Like The Hotel Cart Ran Someone Over And Is Tracking Their Blood Through The Halls
*squeaky* *squeak* "Of course sir, those will be cleaned by our expert staff, when you return this afternoon everything will be fine again", said Mary the housemaid as she rolled on by with her cart. She seemed like such a nice lady. After his return from shopping, Jack inquired at the front desk if the cleaning was finished. Only to find out the whole floor is inaccessible because of the police investigation going on. The elderly maid was found dead and had been for at least a week...
Tbh, without the other designs and just the red, it would actually look nice.
My Office's Cleaners Use A Yellow Product To Sanitize The Toilets. Makes It Look Like Someone Forgot To Flush
That is completely on purpose and you can't tell me otherwise
These "Designer Jeans" Look Like They're Covered In Poop Stains
Having one of these on your clothing or as a pillow is now fashionable:💩
Load More Replies...It made me think of these kind of jeans (also the trend to put worn out teeshirts with tons of holes). WHYYYY ?! faf97693-d...c3-png.jpg
I stand stand corrected. I know where one would wear these: to a Zombie Fest.
In Antoniuk's opinion, there is such a thing as good and bad product, furniture, and interior design. But degrees of preference create a gray area where a clear line between quality and a lack thereof should exist. "The gray area comes in when people start to talk about taste and about degrees of aesthetic. I may love the design of Bauhaus furniture, for example, while somebody may feel that it is too cold and void of personality. Not unlike great art, I believe that much of what came from this era is ‘great design,’ in part because it represents an era and a philosophy. When we start to mix in discussions of taste and preference, that is where the gray areas of good and bad design get blurred."
Yellow Marble... Really?
I would never go in this restroom again. I'd go to the nearest gas station.
I had that in an apartment YEARS ago, on the countertops too - with a really dark brown vanity. I found a shower curtain that had the same golds (?) and brown, with a touch of light blue. Believe it or not, I made it work. Certainly wasn't my ideal by far.
noe they just need to put the cleaner that looks like pee and put it all in # 12 below
This Bathroom Floor
HAHAHAHAHHAHHAHHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHHAHAHAAHAHAAHHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Load More Replies...Looks like someone tried to stain the concrete and made a holy mess!
Looks Like Someone Smeared Poop On This Table
It is unfortunately very true - https://www.globalcitizen.org/fr/content/this-art-is-s**t-literally/ Capture-de...ff-png.jpg
That's some really shitty finger painting.
Load More Replies...Antoniuk also believes that people can intuitively "feel" and sense good design. "Quite often, this relates to ergonomics and the usability or functionality of the products and services and systems. Having said that, I think far too many people expect poor design that doesn’t really work well," he told Bored Panda.
This Rug That Looks Like It’s Covered In Ants/Fleas
This makes me laughing. Looks kind of delicious, I just don’t know why.
Nope. I hate that it does look like it's covered in ants or someone dropped a full pepper shaker
This Is Apparently A Clean Wash Basin
Looks like it's been sitting in a bachelor apartment for six months.
Look What I Found In A Bathroom
If I was a psychopath, I'd probably be tempted to add a smudge of the real deal...
This looks like lovely ice cream. Yes...lovely ice cream swirls. Of blood! Fun for the whole family!
do you still think its fun for the little brother that was sacrificed for the ice cream?
Load More Replies...What's more, he believes that good and bad design are skills that can be learned, especially when we start diving deep into the realm of aesthetics. "For me, great design is what Dieter [Rams] talks about—it is also intuitive, it is deeply sympathetic and empathetic to the user at all levels, and at some level, it is emotional. It is a catalyst for giving us feelings."
This (Clean) Napkin
I saw a mantis shrimp doing interpretive dance so I think you may be closer to the actual intention.
Load More Replies...This Building I Found In Osaka With Marble Patterned Windows, Looks Like Someone Smeared Liquid Faeces On Them
I cannot emphasize it enough; choosing the right, non-bodily fluid-looking color of marble is soooo important. I mean, if some of these were blue, instead of brown or red or yellow, it would be a non-issue.
Load More Replies...I stared at this for a solid five seconds thinking it said liquid faces.
Maybe it's to keep birds from flying into the windows? Stripes or pretty much everything would be better.
I Tried To Clean This Only To Figure Out Its The Design
idk.........................................................
Load More Replies...Would be a pretty design without the random, orange spots and curved lines.
Suzanne Labarre of Co.Design has a similar take in that she also believes that Rams’ principles could be updated. While Labarre has the IT and tech industry in mind, the principles for good design are pretty much universal, no matter if you’re designing an app, setting up a building’s interior, or creating a brand new product.
In Labarre’s opinion, good design has to be transparent, easy to understand, and done in a way that empowers its users, instead of overwhelming them. Furthermore, Labarre puts a lot of emphasis on each designer’s responsibility for what they create: they have to be aware of the possible consequences their creations might have, both on the consumers and on society.
Clean Table Looks Like It’s Covered In Crumbs
I would be scrubbing a hole through it trying to get it to look clean.
Load More Replies...If you ever wondered where 'seconds' or rejects from the assembly line go
This Keyboard Cover Is Supposed To Look Like Marble But It Just Looks Dirty
This Weird Straw That Looks Like It's Been Collecting Dirt For Three Months
How To Know When It's Time To Wash Them?
I don't get why Ryan is getting downvoted. I probably sound like a big boomer but why would you buy ripped pants?
Load More Replies...You cannot know... So wash it everyday until you are fed up and decide to throw it away.
Why would anyone wear, let alone buy, something that looked like this?
For Labarre, design is inherently political. Product design (whether physical or digital) has the ability to change how power is distributed in society. This feeds back into the point about how we should all be aware of how our designs can change the world.
This Is A Sink At A High-Quality, Fancy French Restaurant In San Fransisco. No, That Is Not Dirt, But The *intentional* Material Of The Inside Of The Sink. Also, Those Are Not Stains (Unless The Material Soaks Up Stains, Either Way, Bad Sink Design)
It looks like poured concrete. Still - not a good choice for a restaurant kitchen.
These Tiles That Are Designed Pre-Worn And Dirty
If you look closely, the grout is actually normal and white... the disgusting brown stains are part of the tiles.
Load More Replies...It looks like the floor of a rest area bathroom, as well.
Load More Replies...I've had apartments with similar textures. I never really knew if I got the kitchen floor clean.
I don't get it, it would be too much of a contrast with the new kitchen :I
Silicone Kitchen Tools With A Marble Design That Makes Them Look Always Dirty
Yet another example that marble should remain marble and should not pretend to be marble on non marble materials. I guess.
Based on the hands in the picture, I can't tell if they're huge or tiny.
Wow, The Sharper Image has really lowered their product standards! Originally $5,000 whole-body shiatsu massage chairs and sleek electronics, and now...cake spatulas?
The spoon & spatula aren’t so bad, but that flipper has to go. It looks ashy/dusty.
Sales remain steady at Zero. This is why India invented the number zero.
This Sink Is Completely Clean
AAAAAH it looks like there is sand eveywheree that would drive me insane by just looking at it
My grandma had a sink like this in her bathroom, the only reason we knew it was clean and not a "stain" is it was a shimmery (glittery) color. Pretty up close, drove me nuts from afar as I got older
I have one of those stupid sinks in my apartment! Looks like someone spilled hairdye in it!
This Intentional Design On This Hoodie
Technician : "There's been a problem, some bleach stained a part of the production today" Marketing : "Let's call it a limited edition and sell it at a higher price !"
Yep I can see that happening. “We don’t want to lose our shirt on this one!”
Load More Replies...Poop Smear Jeans!
we just gonna ignore those shoes on the right that look like someone's wearing grey socks with sandles?
Are we just gonna ignore the fact that you've spelt sandals wrong?
Load More Replies...The Style Is Supposed To Be In "Marble", But Instead They Just Look Dirty
Some tiles imitate it rather well... but that's it.
Load More Replies...Ah, those classic, classy marble containers from Wal Mart...
Because you will fool your friends into thinking you have storage bins made of marble.
Again - in the proper installation, it could look really nice. (Playing Devil's advocate here).
This New Hotel Carpet That Looks Like It’s Worn Out Beyond Threadbare
I disagree, I've seen one of these in a hotel room and it looked nice... each shade on it corresponded with something else in the rooms
The toilet, behind the sink and the top of the curtain rail...?
Load More Replies...These Painted “Soap Bubbles” Just Make It Look Like The Soap Dispenser Is Dirty
Especially as seagulls are such small, quiet birds.
Load More Replies...No. Just major no. Notice "soap bubbles" surrounding this piece of convenience. This is just a dirty shame.
This Brand New Duster Has A Design That Makes It Look Extremely Dirty All The Time
I guess the brushes are looking like that because they are splitted to soften them so they better pick the dirt up.
Yeah, this is just because it's gray to begin with. All cheap plastic brooms I've ever seen, have this.
Load More Replies...This Is A Keyboard Cover. There Is No Dirt Or Food On It
Prevents debris from falling into the keyboard and stops the keys from wearing out
Load More Replies...These Glasses Are New And Clean...
This Paper Plate Is Clean
How does strawberries and strange yellow liquid look good together? Who looked at a plain paper plate and thought, “you know, this needs some strawberries and splashed urine on it.”
These Plates With A Glossy Splatter Effect That Will Always Look Wet/Dirty...
Is there a conspiracy amongst designers to drive OCD sufferers insane?!
That Bio Fork Looks Like It's Super Dirty
I've never found bio things dirty looking, they look like the stones in my RV park that I used to live in texas.
A "bio" fork? What about regular forks which you can clean and use again?
You really can’t understand why anyone would want a disposable fork, Ryan?
Load More Replies...It's Not Dirty, That Is The Actual Design...
It's a flower with additional foliage? My guess is that if it were embroidered rather than printed, that would look quite pretty.
Since someone is actually wearing these pants I wonder if it's just really faded?
My guess is that the pants originally had a flower pattern printed on them that faded over time, but rather than buying new pants or throwing these out, the owner kept wearing them.
"Hey Mark, the last batch of pants got dirty 'cause the machine has a leak, what should we do" Mark: -"Get me PR!" >:D
No thank you. I'll save my money by not buying your jeans, and getting my own jeans dirty.
This Table In The Coffee Shop That Has Little Dots , Looks Like Sugar No Matter How Clean It Is
thats why its here. the caption even explains it.
Load More Replies...I've been in cafes where the table tops were like this. It's not that bad.
How come where the cup used to be, the dots curve to match the profile of it? Something isn’t right here.
My Daughter’s School Staircase Tiles Look Like Covered With Blood And Dirt
This is likely on purpose. Much like places that see high footfall (hotels, restaurants, bars that have bright, patterned carpets/flooring) they have probably chosen a flooring that hides stains as it would be far too expensive the stain remove or replace regularly. Stains aren't harmful, just unsightly, easiest option is to camouflage them.
This Just Looks Like Its Covered In Dirt
It... they... they aren't just covered in dirt?! I feel like this one is ESPECIALLY bad.
My Tennis Shirt Looks Like It Is Drenched In Sweat Even When It's Clean
Maybe it was a present, you always have to get them something they wouldn't buy themselves!
Load More Replies...Why Would I Buy A Dirty Cooking Pot?
The Background On The Menu Looks Like Its Covered In Dirt
Plates At Japanese Restaurant Look Dirty When They're Clean
This Piece Of Tile Is 100% Clean And Brand New... The Design Makes It Look Filthy
yeah, why cant natural stone not look like natural stone?
Load More Replies...These Plates That Look Like Someone Smeared Poop On Them
A large part of the problem with several of these is just the color. Guys... dirt is brown. Poop is brown. Perhaps choose ANY OTHER COLOR THAN BROWN
This Sink Is Actually Very Clean - The Stone Pattern Initially Made Me Think Otherwise
I feel like at least a few of the people who make these mistakes do them on purpose to get people to clean the things for them because the people irritated by the design.
Looks Like Your Plate Will Always Be Dirty... Found In The Wild At H&m
I Thought This Was Dirt When I Walked In The Bathroom
My Debit Card Looks Just Like Dirt On Both Sides. Guss What Color Is Super Common In Desert Regions?
This Is A Clean Plate
this probably gonna get disliked but some of these aren't that bad.
I kind of agree. I didn't mind most of the plates and cups, it was the 'bathroom' ones I couldn't deal with.
Load More Replies...The main theme here for me is that something that is intended to convey a perception of being clean and hygienic always need to be plain white. If you do need to put in some colour, don’t make it look like poo.
It kinda makes me think that people who purchase these know that they weren't going to be able to keep the items clean, so they make them look purposefully dirty so it'll be overlooked. Even if that's not the case, it's what I would assume if I saw any of these "in the wild".
Load More Replies...The bottom line for a lot of these is "marble only looks good when it's actually marble".
If you start with "dirty looking" items, I guess you have no where to to but UP!
Products all designed for people who never want to bother cleaning anything again.
this probably gonna get disliked but some of these aren't that bad.
I kind of agree. I didn't mind most of the plates and cups, it was the 'bathroom' ones I couldn't deal with.
Load More Replies...The main theme here for me is that something that is intended to convey a perception of being clean and hygienic always need to be plain white. If you do need to put in some colour, don’t make it look like poo.
It kinda makes me think that people who purchase these know that they weren't going to be able to keep the items clean, so they make them look purposefully dirty so it'll be overlooked. Even if that's not the case, it's what I would assume if I saw any of these "in the wild".
Load More Replies...The bottom line for a lot of these is "marble only looks good when it's actually marble".
If you start with "dirty looking" items, I guess you have no where to to but UP!
Products all designed for people who never want to bother cleaning anything again.
