SeanMartin opened this issue on Aug 26, 2009 · 72 posts
ockham posted Wed, 26 August 2009 at 9:11 PM
Bad design runs rampant in consumer products. In the last few years I've
replaced most of my house's appliances and fixtures as the 1960's and 1970's
originals wore out. In every case the new item is stupidly designed. Surfaces
are rough instead of smooth, thus guaranteeing uncleanable dirt. Tops are
rounded so you can't put anything on them. Dust filters don't filter dust. The
toilet seat slips sideways every time I sit on it, giving me an unpleasant jolt.
The window air conditioner has a large vent on top and no drainage holes on the
bottom, thus insuring that the case will hold stagnant water. Knobs are
cone-shaped and smooth instead of cylindrical and serrated, making them
hard to turn.
All of these mistakes are completely avoidable, and many of them lead to
unhealthy situations or invite accidents. I suppose there's a CAD-CAM
reason for them, or maybe they make Chinese manufacturing easier.