Clogging of Kitchen-sink
After the dish-washing the kitchen sink gets choked.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
UsabilityMatters.Org is a non-profit organization working towards design awareness and
exchange of design sensibilities through interaction between designers
and design sensitive consumers.
For design discussions and updates join umo.

How many times a day you've felt some things could just be "slightly" better than they are now?
It may be your wash-basin tap, that tries hard to impersonate gym equipment by being hard and clumsy when you are all sleepy in morning, or it could be your phone bill that poses more intellectual challenge than toughest of the cryptic-crosswords.
We live in a world that is a consequence of conscious or unconscious design decisions made by the manufacturers or designers of the various systems. Most of times these decisions are resultant of hasty time-lines, compromise on quality or just plain ignorance about 'you'- the one who is going to use them.
The UMO-Boycott Bad-Design Contest'05 was organized with the view of calling attention to the bad design in everyday things with the theme : Annoyances with day-to-day things.
The following ten entries were chosen as the best submissions for the "Bad design contest"
Details about the above and also the other entries chosen for the exibition for World Usability Day at Hyderabad are displayed below.You can see the details of each entry, vote for it and add your comments to it.
Team-UMO duly acknowledges it's gratitude towards all the participants.
After the dish-washing the kitchen sink gets choked.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
While parking the car along the pavement there are chances of the bumper hitting the pavement.

Bus number is only displayed on the front and the back but it should also be present on the side of a bus.

● Bad Designs ● six comments ● Read More
Window position is improper when we consider people standing in bus who need to bend down again and again to catch the glimpse of approaching bus stop.

Every time one has to open the foot rest by hand, the position of this element is such that it just cannot be opened by foot.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
Ketchup being viscous in nature, it is difficult to pour it from a glass bottle.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
Shampoo sachets cannot be easily opened with wet hands.

The berths of a 3 tier bogie don’t provide enough head space. When someone is sleeping on the middle berth, people on middle as well as lower berths can no even sit due to less head space.

● Bad Designs ● six comments ● Read More
While using a Styrofoam cup one does not have any clue of the temperature of the liquid contained inside it.

● Bad Designs ● two comments ● Read More
Adhesive tape rolls tends to stick back on the roll after use, if not mounted on a tape dispenser properly. Each time one has to search its end.

● Bad Designs ● ten comments ● Read More
In Indian scenario, most of the people prefer to use water in toilets. But in public toilets, in toilets at railway stations or at the bus stations it is unhygienic to use flush, mugs or even the soap bar with hands.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
The level of water in the commode is such that with every chunk of stool that falls in water has to spill and splash on person using the commode.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Many branded potato chips sold in pillow pouches cause problem because opening those packet requires considerable amount of pinch grip strength.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
The medium sized (1 liter) liquid filled pouches like milk pouches; edible oil pouches etc. used in homes have many issues of handling. Same is the case with oil bottles.

● Bad Designs ● two comments ● Read More
The outlet of a small Fevikwik tube is hard to re-open as it easily gets stuck due to strong adhesive.

While pillion gets off the seat, be it a Saree or pant, it invariably gets struck in he side protrusion of the stand being.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Bajaj Scooter needs to be tilted before starting.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
The plastic molded chairs are light weight and made of brittle material. With heavy load they tend to split at the bottom.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Silencer of the a is badly placed as after some time it produces heat which is dangerous if someone happens to touch it unknowingly.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
By looking at a USB drive or even the USP insertion port on the CPU one cannot make out the way to insert into the port.

Cleaning of ventilator panes is a very tedious job and becomes very difficult if one has to clean each and every component of it.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Most of the mobile phone chargers or power adapters come with two point pin that doesn’t always fit well into a normal switch board and as a result it keeps on hanging from it.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
One needs to open the lid at least 5-6 times, to grind something in this chutney jar!!

● Bad Designs ● six comments ● Read More
Lead pencil pen has poor lead holding mechanism as it does not utilize the last 25% of lead’s length.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
When ever scanning a page the scanner will add a shadow or water mark effect to the scanned image.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Cleaning the keyboard is a task in itself as the dust gets in between the keys.

People find it very inconvenient to carry the Adapter / Charger along with them where ever they travel.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
It is very inconvenient to lift up the iron and place iron at its base as the wire always hinders. Hence the iron keeps falling down and may end up burning clothes if not noticed immediately.

Clothes always slip off the smooth metal hangers with tapering sides and sometimes fall down or fly off when there is wind blowing.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
The problem with the thumbtack has everything to do with the thumb or thumbnail to be more precise. Using it to secure something on a soft board is not a problem. The problem lies in taking it out.
![]()
● Bad Designs ● two comments ● Read More
Many people take statement printouts for every transition and throw it in the dustbin in the ATM-Room. In one hour we can see the bin gets filled.

The currency notes are too confusing if one goes only by their size and color, which form the criteria for choosing a currency note for payment. One has to recheck every time he or she has to make some payment. Checking has to be more careful while counting a bundle of notes or a big amount.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
Detergent cakes are ‘actually’ soluble in water. After using it for a while one can actually dip the detergent case into a bucket full of water and you have liquid detergent ready.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
While watching a 3D movie one has to wear 3D spectacles, which is quite exciting. But what about those who are already having their glasses on.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
‘Hit and try’ or better call it ‘put and try’! If one forgets to throw away dead batteries right at the first time, then they are sure to be thrown out the next time.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
A two-way switch can be identified by looking at it, but what about entering a dark room and figuring out whether it has been switched off or the tube itself is gone?

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
This leaf shaped mobile is not comfortable to hold.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Switch is a connotation for any on-off situation. The switch here works actually three ways but only two conditions are represented.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
The fuel indicator of Honda Unicorn bike indicates the value as zero even if there is 2 to 3 liters of petrol left in it.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
This remote control of a Sanyo projector has very confusing and improper interface which hampers its functioning.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
This product is designed in such a way that one has to hold the bottle/ glass in his or her hands always while filling water.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Mobile phones are not available offline i.e. without inserting the SIM card one cannot access even the independent features which could be used offline, e.g. Games.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
Canon is one of the best known camera makers. This particular camera, no wonder is good but has a lens cap with out any string that holds it to the camera.

● Bad Designs ● No comments ● Read More
This is a ball point pen with "strangely" shaped front tip, called Angular Tip by the manufacturer. This angular point adds nothing to the utility on the contrary only adds to the inconvenience while writing.

Cutting nails with a nail cutter is an easy job, but collecting the pieces of nails scattered all over the place is definitely not as easy.

● Bad Designs ● two comments ● Read More
This is the MCB Main Power Switch in any house. People generally get confused with its On/Off functionality.

● Bad Designs ● one comment ● Read More
Driver does hardly switch to Upper/dipper of headlights and create a glare, driving during night time. Moreover the proximity between the headlights and the side indicator becomes a problem; one cannot see the blinking indicator due to the glare of the headlight in upper. The glare does not only hurt eyes of the driver but also increases risk while driving.
● Bad Designs ● two comments ● Read More
![]()
While operating the mixer, the snaps act as locking device. But these snaps are not sufficient enough to hold the lid of mixer jar. It needs an external force for keeping it on the jar as the operator has to push it by one hand. This keeps the operator engaged unnecessarily.
● Bad Designs ● two comments ● Read More
The gear shift knob requires considerable learning efforts for somebody new to the car. Instead of linear and simple gear shifts system dictates the user behavior.
● Bad Designs ● two comments ● Read More
![]()
There is confusion between the directions in which the knob is pressed to activate indicator and finally the direction in which the indicator glows. The indicator is shown in left and right sides whereas the knob has to be moved in up/down direction.
This particular design is observed in Maruti 800 and Opel Corsa.
● Bad Designs ● ● Read More
Last Comments
charlotte in (UMO – 4th Interna…) says:
Very nice post you've made here, ver…
DEVIL in (Fevikwik Tube Out…) says:
when i tried to make its campaign i …
Milan Kumar Nanda… in (Fevikwik Tube Out…) says:
Today i buy a Rs-10 fevikwik tube. A…
gaurav katre in (High-Tea with Dr.…) says:
hi........... myself Gaurav Katre an…
dhaneswar in (Call for Voluntee…) says:
Hi, When user submits your registr…
kiranjarrajsathis… in (Fevikwik Tube Out…) says:
yes,he his correct
NAGESH KUMAR JULU… in (Usha Lexus Mixer …) says:
I HAV SOME PROBLEM WITH MY MIXER I N…
lala in (Fevikwik Tube Out…) says:
very good.ninja boy.its true.
ninja hattori in (Fevikwik Tube Out…) says:
Iam a ninja boy.its true....duplicat…