3 Well Designed Objects Around Us We Ignore Everyday.
I am sure you have experienced a bit of frustration when you find it difficult to operate simple home appliances like washing machine, microwave oven, deep fryer and more. It’s even more frustrating when simpler tools like spoons, toothbrushes, water dispenser fail to live up to expectations performing tasks it was specifically designed for.
I have had to end up using my hands to pick up fried chicken wings while eating out one day because the cutleries provided were not strong enough to cut into the chicken. It was so frustrating as I struggled to hold the meat with my fork while trying to cut with the knife for over ten minutes before I finally settled to using my hands.
I never for once thought that was a design flaw until I read the book “The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman” which emphasizes the need to guide the user effortlessly to the right action on the right control at the right time. I started paying attention to the everyday things around me like the kitchen utensils, light bulbs, scissors, bottles, furniture and realized that good and thoughtful designs have the power to change our world. I will share three examples of amazing designs we ignore everyday;