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
I’d like it, as long as it wasn’t slippery. But I feel like I’m slipping just looking at it
It would be a nightmare to clean though. I think you would need a pressure washer at least once a week in order to remove the dirt from all the small crevases in those rocks, and then you would have to temporarely remove/cover up those plants in order to protect them from the spray. All in all, it would be a really impractical setup, unless you have enough money to not care about someone to spending way to much time on keeping it sanitary.
Load More Replies...Look, I love indoor plants, but I do not necessarily need them to tickle my bits when having a shower.
Wait. I didn't know that bit tickling was involved. *𝑢𝑝𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝐸𝑑𝑑𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑖𝑐. 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑡. 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑟...*
Load More Replies...It's ok with me, as long as there is no life form in there (other than plants)
You can't hold back Mother Nature. The creepy crawlies are coming!
Load More Replies...Bugs. Mud (after kids and/or pets overturn plant pots). Slime. Damp. Mildew. How TF do you get it clean? Would it even look clean if you could?
As a shower room, fine, odd but could be done. There are even tubs that would blend well with it. But the toilet? Nope. If you e got enough to make that, you've definitely got enough to put the toilet in its own room.
just imagine cleaning up after your 8 year old projectile vomits and failed to get the lid up...
The amount of of vomit I've seen in the past two months makes me hate this bathroom. Not kid friendly at all.
Load More Replies...I like the look of this. But it would have improper drainage and would be a haven for mould and other nasty s**t. And why oh why is there a shitter right next to the shower??!!
My dream has always been to have a bathroom you could just hose down and call it a day.
When you have to poop and want to take a shower at the same time. That toilet is going to be perpetually wet.
I'm not sure if it's okay for the plants to get hot water from time to time.
If the showerhead doesn't spray out, and just straight down, the plants shouldn't get any hot water where they are, just misting which should cool by the time it reaches them (based off how the mist hits me and makes me chilly in our shower just before I get under the nice warm water)
Load More Replies...My sister did this to her bathroom over 15 years ago. Except it was brighter
Gray water from showers that has some soap in it is fine for plants, recommended for use on garden plants as long as it's not too much soap.
Load More Replies...Not a fan of a wet toilet. Otherwise it's kind of cool. Although my klutzy a$$ would 100% bang my shins on that rock.
The shower area is fine, but I'm not down with the rough gravel and stone surrounding the toilet. I prefer easier to clean surfaces since I can't prove that all the misaiming is really my 6 like hubby claims.
this is great but they need a drain line so water does get everywhere
It's quite pretty to look at, but it must be a b!tch to clean and keep sanitary.
Natural minus the giant industrial grey shitter leering at me while I’m trying to shower. Exactly how I imagine bathing in the out of doors.
I actually kinda like, would like the tile to be more sandstone colored though. Ooo or fossil themed tile.
This reminds me of a bathroom in Seoul. There are pebbles on the floor and a little fish pond. I loved it, but it was kind of weird
Luv it. But it looks like it would be He!! to clean. I guess you just hose it down when you water it..?
Where there are plants, there are bugs. Where there are bugs, there are spiders...
I'd say 80% of those plants are fake, no way some of them would thrive with hot water splashing all over them. Some might be real, but the ones on the left of the photo are too symmetrical to be real
Can't imagine sitting there wondering if it was time to water the plants. . .?
Everybody used to have nature inspired bathrooms, they were called outhouses. That's why they invented indoor plumbing so you wouldn't get bit by a random insect or animal. If you have a nature inspired bathroom, obviously you haven't had to s**t outside enough.
It's gorgeous, but how do you clean the thing? And heaven forbid men dribble!
Have to be careful when using cleaning products. Even eco-friendly can be harmful if not allowed proper dilution. And is that tiny window the only natural light source?
Hmmm...not too bad. Looks like there's a couple of plants that could be used if there wasn't any toilet paper.
I just wish the toilet was either a stump or a tree to lean against lol, also, i really want to see the TP hung on a tree branch next to the toilet!
If be concerned with bugs and mold. Outside nature has ventilation
This kinda looks like a rock onsen I went to on my trip to Japan a few days ago!
I saw this year's ago snd everyone thought man thats cool but god impossible to clean
I'm stubbing my toe or barking my shin on that rock every time.
I remember a pub in Sheffield ( England) where the women's toilets were like this - but with cubicles. The plants were huge with trees painted on the walls and ceilings and a soundtrack of tropical bird sounds. The downside was that the room was far too dark to check your hair and make up in the mirror...
I would have to put on shoes to use the bathroom and that part is the only thing I'd hate about this bathroom. Visually I like it.
Must be hard to keep clean though... Plus slippery. Nice to look at though, if you need showoff bathroom.
Oh god. Mold and mildew everywhere. That room is going to smell like a swamp.
I like it but it better not have any bugs (I’m okay with ladybugs 🐞 and other beetles and daddy long legs 🕷
I have plants in my shower because that's the only place the cats can't get to.
I like it but just cleaning it and keeping spiders out my ocd would go into overdrive
I can only imagine the cleaning of soap scum off the rocks and the little spiders and bugs that would be attracted to the moisture and bushes
Without some serious airflow, that looks like a breeding ground for mold/mildew.
I keep thinking it comes with all the critters nature can offer. The ecosystem would be complete.
Yeah this one is way over the line between unique creativity and just WAAAYYY overdoing it..
There is not enough light for the plants. And I don't want to shower having a leaf between my butthalves.
Beautiful, But is there clear acrylic over the floor? How is it kept clean?
I feel like there would be spiders and snakes and I can't go while there are spiders and snakes.
Literally none of these are badly designed so far, except for the clock
Mm, I'd quite like to leave my head intact, not to mention stubbed toes
I agree with the floors being an issue, especially for slipping. Maybe switch to regular tile, put a small border along the areas you don't want water (like the toilet, and gravel) and put down some clear sticky pads (and also work out a good heating source for after you turn the water off in the winter and have to walk all that way to the nearest towel hanger.) Or maybe there's a solution with epoxy flooring to cover the rocks but still have it look rocky, but idk how well it holds up to showering.
looks like it would hurt my feet walking on it. Also...not enough shelf space for everything I use.
This looks like something from a zombie apocalypse movie to me.
For people like me who despise camping but still wants to experience pooping in the woods
I love this, but it's probably better for a hotel or Airbnb so a couple of days rather than full-time 😊
I feel like I'd accidentally brush a plant while showering with my eyes closed and freak out
Wet rooms are great and very useful if you're in a wheelchair with limited mobility. Two key things come to mind. 1) Access, the rock reduces this significantly and 2) Non slip flooring, some of those paving slabs look awfully smooth. Other than that .....
Insects, creepers, frogs, algae, fungi and no sunlight to clean anything.
Looks like someone locked up the house and came home years later to find this
Lol, i can allready imagine, a person sitting there in peace taking a ... Number 2, a a frikking Jaguar pops out from behind that rock....
no one needs to clean this, because you can't see what is dirty and what is supposed to look dirty! and mold is natural as well!! Big Brain Moment!
until the mold spreads to the rest of your house 😂
Load More Replies...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
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