There’s good design. There’s bad design. And we can usually intuitively tell the two apart just by looking at it. But wait! There’s also ‘design design,’ a really weird category that straddles the line between quality aesthetics and truly awful taste. Some designers just don’t know when to stop designing their designy designs and go way overboard. Are we starting to sound redundant and over-complicated? Good, now you’re getting it!
The best (worst?) of these ‘designy designs’ end up being shared on the r/DesignDesign subreddit, an intriguing online community that both celebrates and criticizes these errr VeRy InTeReStInG aNd ArTiStIc ideas for products and furniture. We’ve collected some of the most bizarre and original pics to share with you, Pandas.
Scroll down, upvote the designs that really had an impact on you, and if you love what you see, consider becoming a member of the subreddit.
Bored Panda reached out to Matt Johnson, Ph.D., the host of the Consumer Psychology Blog and the Human Nature Blog, for a few insights on the importance of finding the right balance between the designer's vision for their product, as well as what would appeal to consumers. He told us that, at its core, user experience is about empathy. Johnson is a professor of consumer psychology at Hult International Business School and Harvard University, and the author of 'Branding that Means Business.' Read on for our interview with him.
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Wall Outlets With Extension Cords Built Into The Wall
Stacked Seating At A Restaurant
Hidden Fire Extinguishers
We were interested to learn more about the balance between what a designer wants from their product and what consumers look for. We asked Professor Johnson about what can help designers maintain a more grounded, user-friendly perspective.
"Ultimately, good UX is an act of empathy. You have to filter your creative vision for the product through the lens of the consumer’s needs, unique preferences, and tendencies. This means creating a balance between your own aspirations for the product (e.g. what you think it could be), and how it will intuitively seem to the end user (how the user will actually be used)," he explained to Bored Panda.
"Practically speaking, by inviting the consumer into the design process and getting feedback along the product development journey, the end result is much more likely to strike this balance." However, if there's only poor communication, you might end up with a disconnect between the two. Something that Piterskii-Punk-Wall accurately showed in their comic right over here.
Found On The Designp**n Frontpage
Ok I Think I Found The Ultimate Decanter. This One Keeps Me Awake At Night
Drink The Rainbow
Johnson, the host of the 'Neuroscience Of' blog, told Bored Panda that the best and most beloved products integrate both perspectives: that of the designer, as well as of the consumer.
"If the balance is tilted too far in the direction of the creator’s vision, as opposed to the user’s intuition and needs, it comes off too much as a standalone work of art, and not as a functional product," he said.
"This feels immediately obvious to the consumer: it's something that reflects an idea from a specific individual, but lacks the necessary translation to the broader world. In a word, it feels too much like ‘art,’" the professor told Bored Panda. He noted that this is perfectly fine and valuable in its own context. However, when it comes to the world of consumer products, there's a necessity for this additional layer of consumer empathy.
A Nature Inspired Bathroom
Imagine Going Through All The Trouble Of Publishing Just To See This
Frankly. I’m not sure whether you’ve been ripped off or not. (Edited: Changed ‘what her’ to ‘whether’)
Swinging In The Conference Room
As we see it, there are two main issues at play here when we’re talking about designy designs, aka over-designed products. Both explain, at least in part, why some creative professionals go completely overboard.
The first is a question of theory vs. practice and how even the best-laid plans don’t necessarily translate into reality. The second is about the relationship between the designer and their (real or imagined) audience—aka the end-users and consumers.
You might have an utterly amazing idea for a product or piece of furniture in your mind. Maybe you’ve even sketched it out! But even though the concept looks amazing on paper, it might not be the best fit for consumers. Something that any creator would be terrified to learn only after launching the idea into the market.
A Car Fender Bicycle
Possibly One Of The Worst Staircases I've Ever Seen
Door Knob Design That Gives You A Fish Eye View Of The Room Ahead
This is obviously a rendering, but it is conceptually wrong, optics don't work like this. You would see the image upside down, and you would see anything only by staring within a limited conical field of view right in front of the ball.
You assume that it is done with simple lenses. It could just as easily be done with a camera.
Load More Replies...Now, as a front door k**b to let me see who/what is outside, that'd be ok.
I can see super controlling parents installing these for their kid's and teen's rooms.
nah, it's so you can see the thing waiting for you on the other side of the door
Load More Replies...If this hasn't already been said, it's good for ur kids and babies rooms to look without bothering them. I would always interrupt my little ones at play when I'd open the door to check and make sure they hadn't killed each other bcuz it was so quiet, when they were actually doing something creative and then they'd get embarrassed and lose concentration and stop.
The issue is I would be constantly compelled to put my dong or giblets or wangdoodle or Johnson or peen or gongs or balls or nuts or ding dong on the other side. But not my k**b cuz that’s dirty.
Careful with this one, you may see things you don't want to see.
Sorry, but it may not be a good idea to see what's in that room, or should I say what's going on in that room.
Not sure about this, but at least you know if there is someone on the other side!
Aww gross, you don't want to check out the weird noises coming from your parents room. Just stay in bed.
The perfect gift for the hard to shop for perv on your list. The ToiletCam™️ is, after all, so very passé.
Really?? Why write a word and then censor that same (inoffensive) word in the comments? Tell us your mind is in the gutter thinking about penises, without telling us…
Load More Replies...That's erie! Except if someone was breaking in your house, you can look in the room before walking in on them!
That’s a bad idea what if in hotel and perverts check and I’m changing especially kids! THINK OF THE KIDS WORLD!
The idea of knowing exactly what you are walking into is cool, but it’s kinda creepy how it gives the possibility to watch someone who doesn’t realize you are there. From a privacy perspective it is a nightmare
Load More Replies...Little kids growing up with distorted visions of mom naked like in a fun house. Freud would have a field day with this.
Perfect for kids and teens bedrooms. Now you can have the opposite sex over WITH the door shut!!
I can see that being put on a kid's room, or the front door. Not. Privacy? What's that?
"TIMMY! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP DOING THAT RIGHT THIS SECOND! WE HAVE HOUSE GUESTS."
Useful for the outer doorknob of a toddlers room, so mom and dad can check on the kid without having to open the door.
Great then I'd have to bring my fish Sid with me to decode the door k**b image
This would be good for apartment doors. People tend to duck from the peep hole, so this would ID them before opening the door.
As someone with PTSD I would absolutely love this. Closed doors are terrifying.
I would 100% recommend you an open floor plan home if possible
Load More Replies...Imagine putting those on classroom doors. School shooters would be happy.
Well. Better way to spy on your offspring/siblings than taking the whole door off.
Reminds me of the Black Mirror Episode Arkangel - That was f****d and so is this!
Like this , so I can see my brother in law before he scares me ..
Nop, let me Guess, and every time you Turn them to Open the door, that famous músic from " Psycho " starts playing....
Maybe what you’ve come up with is more akin to art and is radically impractical to use every single day. Or the item is incredibly complex and unintuitive to the average shopper on the highstreet: something that you might not realize because you’ve spent so long on the design, you know it like the back of your hand. It’s a case of design short-sightedness where the professional can’t see the forest for the trees.
Meanwhile, the professional in charge of designing the product might be completely disconnected from their intended consumers. This might happen due to a lack of information on buying trends or because of less-than-stellar communication between them and their customers. That means that the designer is essentially stuck inside a bubble with only their own ideas to consider, with very little (if any!) outside feedback.
Holy F**king S**t
I don't see the problem. If this was mine, it would always look precisely like that! That's because I poop shiny little crystals. /jk
No Way This Can Go Wrong
Apartments In Amsterdam
It will be beautiful when plants will start growing in the terraces.
However, another possible explanation for this disconnect between designers and consumers can be attributed to a more human factor. Namely, arrogance. It’s perfectly fine, even praiseworthy, that you’re confident about your work and that you feel pride in what you’ve achieved. Unfortunately, this can sometimes overshadow the end goal of what’s being sold, namely, that people want to buy and use what you’re offering.
Perhaps the creator feels like they have far better taste than the would-be buyers. So they want to ‘enlighten the masses’ (or something equally as pompous). Here’s the thing, though. Even if it’s a well-intentioned idea to want to educate people about good taste, there are different ways to go about it.
To put it mildly, it’s not the best idea to go about bragging to everyone how much more educated and intelligent you are while poking fun at them for being tasteless. However, when you come from a place of humility and a genuine desire to help, others are more open to what you have to say.
Imagine What It Looks Like In Fall
Another Silverware Set... Another Useless Spoon
A Banana Slide That Trains Your Determination. If You Get Lost, Your Crotch Will Die
At the same time, no matter how successful and well-received a designer’s work might have been in the past, it doesn’t guarantee that their next idea will be good. Multi-functional furniture might not have the mass appeal that they hope it will, meaning it’ll remain a niche product for very niche buyers.
Similarly, even if your lovingly-crafted set of cutlery is pleasant to look at, it might be utterly atrocious to eat with, so you’re left with a decorative piece that very few people actually like.
Injury Attorney’s Dream Staircase
Just No
This Is The New University Building Of Freiburg That At The Same Time Blinds The Road Traffic
The r/DesignDesign subreddit was founded a few years ago, in mid-July of 2018. Since then, they’ve amassed a following of 120k redditors. The moderators running the whole show stress the fact that the pics shared by the members of the community have to be, at the same time, examples of good and awful design. There should be a balance between the two.
Found On Fb... I Can Hear This Image
Books And Bath
One minor earthquake and you'd die in the bath, crushed under an avalanche of books. Wait, can I request that?
Let Me Just Find My Keys
Meanwhile, the mods also ask their members to avoid reposting other people’s photos too much. “Reposts are OK as long as the post hasn't been submitted in 6 months or more than 3 times,” they set out the rules. That way, the content’s kept fresher and it helps avoid people farming attention just for the sake of attention.
A Balcony Without Sun Or Fresh Air Is Just A People Shelf
Oh Yes, Reverse-Lamp
These Would Be Awful To Use
Broadly speaking, taste might be subjective (e.g. preferences for minimalism or maximalism), but there are many things that we can agree on that do and don’t make much sense. If a product is user-friendly, ergonomic, intuitive to use, and matches our expectations, then we can say that it’s an example of good design.
Just No
For Me, The Juicy Salif Is The Pinnacle Of Design Design
This is a Philippe Starck's design for the Italian brand Alessi, I have it, and I love it... And, if someone is wondering... Yes, I used it. And, yes, it's a total mess!
This Hallway Must Have Looked Awesome On The Blueprints
On the flip side, something that’s more like a puzzle that requires an IQ of 160 to figure out won’t get many smiles from the crowd (unless they bought it specifically because they love over-designed, over-complicated stuff). Put the user first and you can’t go wrong. Put your designs above them and you might end up in the grey zone where quality and awful taste meet.
Does This Count?
Reinventing The Pint
When You Want The Guarantee Of A Broken Neck From Your Staircase
This Fire Pit That Doubles As A Side Table When You Tip All The Ash On The Floor
Splash-Proof Urinals
W Fart Free Water
The Lucky Knot Bridge In China
Why? Just Why?
Thanks I Hate It
A Bookshelf To Store Some Pebbles Or Something
Because A Hat Would Be Far To Complicated
This Sink. Spotted On A Facebook Ad
A Maze Of Concentric Circles On The Back Of The Phone Fitting Its Earphones Perfectly
This Luxurious Toilet
Clocks
Dear God I Just Needed To Pee
Love Designy Cumbersome Roundware
Saw This On Insta
Oddly, if you know how to read a clock, they don’t even need numbers, so why bother?
That Looks Comfortable
Stock Market Bench
Oh yeah, now it's not only homeless people who are banned from sleeping on it, it's also everybody else who can't use it. Next level bench! /s
Note: this post originally had 120 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I don't think any of the designers seem to know that disabled people exist. As an ambulatory wheelchair user/walking stick user loads of these would be a nightmare for me.
Many of them would be dangerous to 100% able bodied people too.
Load More Replies...Regarding all the stairs: Do they not have building codes? They are death traps.
I've reached the end!!! And I am absolutely mentally exhausted. I need a glass of wine.
I think the majority of the first half of the list were awesome designs!
Love this BP thread. Great to see so many people thinking outside the box. So far outside the box that they fall off. Brilliant for claustrophobics, space saving, sometimes environmentally friendly. A great reminder that my designs aren't so weird after all.
Surely you didn't need all the fingers on that one hand?
Load More Replies...Going thru these was fun. However now I'm worried about the 2 hours of my life I'll never get back. But this was one of the better BP offerings.
A few of the ones at the top were pretty cool! The rest, though….
Smart home a to z https://comfortablelife4u.blogspot.com/2023/02/building-smart-home-a-to-z-guide.html
I don't think any of the designers seem to know that disabled people exist. As an ambulatory wheelchair user/walking stick user loads of these would be a nightmare for me.
Many of them would be dangerous to 100% able bodied people too.
Load More Replies...Regarding all the stairs: Do they not have building codes? They are death traps.
I've reached the end!!! And I am absolutely mentally exhausted. I need a glass of wine.
I think the majority of the first half of the list were awesome designs!
Love this BP thread. Great to see so many people thinking outside the box. So far outside the box that they fall off. Brilliant for claustrophobics, space saving, sometimes environmentally friendly. A great reminder that my designs aren't so weird after all.
Surely you didn't need all the fingers on that one hand?
Load More Replies...Going thru these was fun. However now I'm worried about the 2 hours of my life I'll never get back. But this was one of the better BP offerings.
A few of the ones at the top were pretty cool! The rest, though….
Smart home a to z https://comfortablelife4u.blogspot.com/2023/02/building-smart-home-a-to-z-guide.html