Whoever Designed These 94 Things Deserves Jail Time, But Will Have To Settle Being Shamed In This Group Instead (New Pics)

There are moments in all of our lives when we look around, astonished, wondering where all the quality went and why we’re surrounded by low-effort, unaesthetic garbage. American science fiction author and critic Theodore Sturgeon is credited for coming up with the idea that “ninety percent of everything” is going to be rubbish. It’s known as Sturgeon’s Law, and its effects can be seen in all areas of life, including design.

That’s where this massively popular subreddit comes in. It’s an online group that is dedicated to sharing the most epic and legendary design fails that range from cringe-worthy to beyond ridiculous. We’ve compiled a list of the latest worst offenders for you to enjoy, Pandas.

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Bored Panda reached out to Matt Johnson, PhD, to hear his thoughts on Sturgeon’s Law and how it applies in modern times, as well as how bad products can affect the reputation of an entire brand. He was kind enough to shed some light on the topic and revealed how the emotionality of a consumer can actually trump the functionality of the product. Johnson, PhD, is a neuroscientist, founder of the Human Nature Blog, and author of Branding That Means Business. You’ll find our full interview with him below. 

#1 I’ll Take Your Sofa Kitchen And Raise You This Tangled Line Kitchen (With Line Covered Appliances Hidden Against The Wall)

Image credits: -avoidingwork-

“Although Sturgeon’s Law is not based on any empirical evidence, it does contain a kernel of truth. And while the 90% threshold is up for considerable debate, this loose figure seems to capture the general consumer sentiment towards content and products,” Johnson explained to Bored Panda.

“It also speaks to the general threshold for subjective appreciation of art, products, and creative output: since there is so much out there, the consumer must triage. You can’t think everything is amazing, or ‘amazing’ becomes meaningless. In this way, regardless of the intrinsic quality of the goods, they’ll appreciate and enjoy the top ~10%.”

#2 Fly To Europe And Have A Stroke

Image credits: DucksToo22

#3 Just Feel Bad About This One, Good Intentions Gone Wrong

Image credits: toastisfree

According to the neuroscientist, the law has become even more true now, in 2023. In his opinion, the threshold for how much rubbish is created now is “likely raised to 95% or higher,” as more and more people have the tools to put their work and products on the market. “This comes down to the rise of digital media, generative AI, and the incredible ease of self-producing. As the skill and capital requirements to create new products have become less and less, the sheer volume of creative works has exploded,” Johnson said.

“And while this has increased the number of exceptional works, it has also made it harder for people to separate the good from the bad, making their thresholds even higher.”

Bored Panda was very interested to learn about the emotional aspect of consumers evaluating the quality of products. We were also curious whether a single bad product could have a large impact on the reputation of an entire brand. “The emotional component is huge,” Johnson told us.

#4 Pikachu What Have They Done To You!?

Image credits: Mellowlyhunger347

#5 A Life-Changing Experience

Image credits: froopy_doo

#6 Probably Wouldn’t Be Such A Bad Idea If Every Angle Wasn’t Slightly Off

Image credits: Any-Classic-5733

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“If the consumer feels positively towards a product, 90% of the battle is won. In fact, emotionality can easily trump the functionality of the product; if a consumer feels good about it, they’re much more forgiving about how it works. For example, many argue that from a purely functional standpoint, the iPhone is inferior to the Google Pixel. But of course, the emotional feelings towards the iPhone (largely stemming from the Apple brand), easily overcome this and then some,” the neuroscientist gave us an example of how this works.

Meanwhile, the reputation of any brand is closely tied to the reputation of the products it produces. “If the product dips below expectations, the reputation of the entire brand suffers.” To reduce risk, brand managers spend a lot of time on brand architecture: creating distinct brands within a company’s portfolio.

“For example, Volkswagen AG (the company) owns the Volkswagen brand, and also Porsche, Bentley, Ducati, etc. This de-risks the spillover effect across these brand assets. In this way, if something goes wrong with, for example, the Volkswagen Taureg, it won’t impact their perception of Porsche, etc.”

#7 The Words They Chose To Have Standout Color

Image credits: hansolo625

#8 Each Of The Blue Dots On This Fire Escape Map Says “You Are Here”

Image credits: EmmaStonewallJackson

#9 My Son Who Just Started To Read, “Hell Baby. Hell Baby. Hell Baby!!!”

Image credits: Hopeful_Relative_494

The bad design-focused subreddit has amassed a whopping 3.4 million members since it was established in 2011. And there’s a lot to love about the online group.

The community has a ridiculously good sense of humor, so you’re bound to see a lot of examples of low-quality designs that are going to get you to chuckle. What’s more, the entire sub is a crash course in taste. Or, well, rather the lack of it. If you work in any creative or design-related field, it’s a place that teaches you what mistakes to avoid.

Unsurprisingly, members of the subreddit are encouraged to stay on-message and only post examples of rubbish design. What this means, in practice, is that there has to be an obvious lack of taste or functionality seen in professional products. The key word here is ‘professional.’ So broken items, manufacturing defects, or clearly amateur designs don’t fit the bill here.

#10 Slippery When Wet, I Fell Down Just Looking At The Picture

Image credits: KlassyKlutz

#11 This Map At A Coffee Shop

Image credits: Holzweg34

#12 One Is A Toilet Cleaner, The Other Is For Washing Dishes. Choose Wisely

Image credits: Jonlevy93

Similarly, the multi-million-member community is told to be as original as possible. So if you’re a fresh-faced Reddit recruit, check out the sub’s top 150 posts so you know what not to share with the community. Everyone enjoys new content instead of the same old carousel of pics, so don’t be shy and do a bit of research.

Meanwhile, the team running the group points out that some designs aren’t bad, even if they might look like that on the surface. For instance, clocks with the Roman numeral 4 written as IIII instead of IV do not count. That’s because IIII is a common alternative way of writing IV. Again—research!

#13 Whoever Edited This Photo To Sell D&d Dice On Facebook Doesn’t Know What They’re Actually Used For

Image credits: missmaggy2u

#14 The Sweater I Bought Cannot Be Maintained

Image credits: FuzzboarEKKO

#15 At Least It’s Padded?

Image credits: cheekymrs

As elsewhere on the web, be as courteous to all the other internet users as you can. Legitimate discussions about design, aesthetics, and consumer culture are perfectly fine. So long as they don’t devolve into name-calling, spiteful comments, or sharing someone else’s personal info online. If you need any additional info about, well, anything, the sub has a detailed Wiki. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with the moderators.

#16 For Reasons Unknown, South America Has Completely Been Replaced By Africa

Image credits: logstain

#17 The Land Is Blue And The Water Is White. I Am Not Proud To Say That I Spent Multiple Minutes Trying To Figure Out Why All The Cities Were Underwater

Image credits: meme_planet_13

#18 Ride On Spac Eship

Image credits: pruaga

Being a good designer means being great at communication and having unparalleled knowledge about your field. Tim Antoniuk, a design expert from the University of Alberta, previously told Bored Pada during an interview that a lot of responsibility rests solely on designers’ shoulders when it comes to the quality of a building project.

“It’s hard, but that’s why the best designers get paid so well for their outstanding work. They do great design/aesthetic work, but they also create efficiencies and they foresee and spot (some) problems from happening,” Antoniuk explained to us before.

#19 Toilets For Disabled People Are Located Upstairs In A Restaurant In Stockholm

Image credits: momo_power

#20 Quite The Opposite Of An Open Concept Kitchen

Image credits: Dahneeze

#21 Ad On The Road That Imitates Real Street Signs

Image credits: AboutHelpTools3

“Many jobs can not just stop because a designer is not onsite or is not able to be reached. That said, builders need to honor the designer’s vision, but again, if there is ‘fuzziness’ in the drawings or plans, decisions will be made by people that we may not want to make them,” the design expert said.

“We exist in a field that is ever-changing with the introduction of new materials, new construction requirements, and restrictions,” Antoniuk told Bored Panda that a builder has to be able to communicate their vision to the contractors and stay on top of changes and novelties in their field of work.

#22 May I Have A Wednesday, Please

Image credits: _Goodrandom

#23 Mmm Yes, I Sure Do Love Living In Tevas

Image credits: TheAverageYBAJoe

#24 This Poor Design On A Real Estate Agent’s Building

Image credits: wanderingbrother

During another interview with us, Antoniuk explained to Bored Panda that good design often relates to ergonomics and “the usability and functionality of the products and services and systems.” Good design is intuitive, deeply sympathetic, empathetic to the user, and emotional. “It is a catalyst for giving us feelings,” the design expert said.

However, he noted that, in his opinion, “far too many people expect poor design that doesn’t really work well.” 

#25 “Thou Shalt Use 24 Point Font. Thou Shalt Not Use 23 Unless Immediately Proceeding To 24. 22 Is Right Out!

Image credits: Fazioliphotography

#26 My Grandma Bought A Condo That Was Built In 2018, I Just Noticed This

Image credits: dbnrdaily

#27 Restaurant Bathroom Sink, Made From… Wood

Image credits: duucfho

For some more awful and hilarious design decisions, take a peek at Bored Panda’s earlier features here, here, and here.

Meanwhile, feel free to drop by the comments and tell us all about the designs in this list that you loved to hate the most. We have our favorites in mind for the top spots, but what are yours?

#28 There Is No Way To Complete The Puzzle

Image credits: Heam21

#29 Someone Put Up This Sign On A Corner Near Me

Image credits: tactiphile

#30 Every One Of Them Is Playing On The Wrong Side Of The Capo

Image credits: MikeOwen91

#31 Simultaneously Too High And Too Low – This Dress

Image credits: Tessa7

#32 Probably The Worst Logo I’ve Ever Seen. It’s For A Plastic Surgeon

Image credits: Phedericus

#33 Business Center Logo Looks Like A Guy Taking A Dump

Image credits: bernardo15

#34 I Now Have Trust Issues With Cooking Instructions

Image credits: bartolemew

#35 Door Knockers On Glass ??

Image credits: llandbeforeslime

#36 Foll Is My Favorite Season

Image credits: martrocks

#37 Sock Model Not Wearing Socks

Image credits: DressedNuthatch

#38 The Last Two Steps On These Stairs Are Higher Than The Previous 50

Image credits: david_pridson

#39 Stainless Steel Bench At The Beach. The Temperature Today Is 31°c

Image credits: unfederica

#40 Good Old ‘Ondon

Image credits: Cybersponge94

#41 Starbucks Duality Of Design

Image credits: strathiee

#42 Neighbors Went Upscale In Their Sidewalk Replacement, But Picked Incredibly Slippery Pavers

Image credits: KSMO

#43 Horse With Eyes On Front Of Its Head

Image credits: Better_Weakness7239

#44 Tie Dye Socks That Look Like Someone Used Them As Toilet Paper

Image credits: Professional_Lunch43

#45 Hotel Room Light Switch Hidden Behind Pillows, So You Wake Up Inexplicably In The Middle Of The Night

Image credits: philfr42

#46 This Is Just Terrifying

Image credits: Pillagerkillager

#47 Prizes On Offer At The Clinic

Image credits: BaronVonStretchmark

#48 Arms (Found On A Cruise Ship I Was On Last Week)

Image credits: Go_Crazyyy

#49 This Double Sided Exit Sign

Image credits: superaa

#50 Readability Comes Second

Image credits: NitroCrystal81

#51 I Don’t Think Someone Thought This Through

Image credits: ThatDamnC

#52 This Shooting Range Ad That Shows A Gun Firing A Cartridge

Image credits: chonk_dogg

#53 This Infographic Uses Blue For Hot And Red For Cold

Image credits: firstfatmaninspace

#54 Actual Logo For A Mexican Restaurant In My Town

Image credits: OnionTuck

#55 It’s Not As Dramatic As Others Here, But I Can’t Tell If I’m Crazy Or Not. This Ad Is Ugly As Hell, Isn’t It?

Image credits: JayKaBe

#56 This Pub Is Supposed To Be Called “Bunch Of Grapes” And I Saw This Unreadable Logo And Asked My Mate “How Far Is The Pub Then?”

Image credits: isaac-jones

#57 What A Weird Choice Of Both Fonts For Writing The I’s

Image credits: ellalol

#58 Press 2 To Get To The 3rd Level, Choose 5 Or 6 To Get To The 6th

Image credits: Tall-Reporter7627

#59 Water Gets Stuck Inside Pot Lid From Steam That Won’t Come Out

Image credits: Novacain420

#60 Who Designed This Mouse? I Tried It And It Is As Uncomfortable Ad It Looks

Image credits: Eastern_Standard7957

#61 A Glass Sign Casting A Shadow On Itself. Every Placard In The Building Looks Like This

Image credits: dogisprime

#62 Assuming 5m Is Meters, Girl Must Be About 16ft Tall

Image credits: bartolemew

#63 It Took Me A Few Beats To Realize 2312 Was Down This Hallway

Image credits: taniyamaboy

#64 Real Politician In Maryland’s Real Fundraiser Flyer

Image credits: jill853

#65 Menu In UK – I’m Sure There’s A Better Way To Get This Across? There Aren’t Even 9 Different Dishes

Image credits: IHateProtoss

#66 I Set The Alarm Off At Least Twice A Week Inside My Own Pocket. All Buttons Are Recessed Except For Panic

Image credits: digestedbrain

#67 He’s At The 30! The 40! The 30! The 40!

Image credits: lobejks

#68 What Recycle Bin Does This Go In?

Image credits: Neptune_Colt

#69 The Button For Colors Is A White Shirt; The Button For Whites Is A Black Shirt

Image credits: _Concepcion

#70 This Small Room Heater (Brand Krhüner), With The Grid Made Of Plastic. It Was Bought 4 Months Ago

Image credits: Seroko

#71 The Latest Addition In Front Of Westminster Abbey – “All Innocent Victims Of Remember Oppression Violence War”

Image credits: jerandolph

#72 The 1928 Nfl Champion Providence Steam Rollers Logo

Image credits: feetandballs

#73 Didn’t Want To Shut It Anyway

Image credits: archiewalton09

#74 The Handle Of This Pan Is Heavier Than The Pan Itself, Making It Fall Over Immediately

Image credits: Hell_Awaitz

#75 A Beautiful Summor…

Image credits: Stevilicious88

#76 Happy Halloween Guys (This Is Supposed To Be Moon Knight)

Image credits: susmansoulsfan

#77 So Many Ways A Wheelchair User Can Get Injured

Image credits: InkOrganizer

#78 The Planets On My Son’s New Rug Have Rings That Don’t Go Around The Planet

Image credits: AnimationNation

#79 This Puzzles Answer Is Wrong

Image credits: QuirkyWolfie

#80 “Our Family Lion Print”

Image credits: footpickles

#81 This Maze On My Apple Jacks Box Is Unsolvable

Image credits: DaFunk1203

#82 Took Me A While To Figure This One Out!

Image credits: Lovely_Buns420

#83 I Look At This Logo And Can’t See Anything But “Ham Pass”

Image credits: Luprand

#84 The Color Coding For This Graphic

Image credits: tobyarch

#85 Odd Spacing? Check! Upside Down Letters? Check! Looks Like We Have A Winner. (Travel Agency Sign In Querétaro México)

Image credits: hadmadsuperdad

#86 The Font On This Sign Is Really Hard To Read

Image credits: AGreenProducer

#87 On Heavens Knock Knock Knocking Door

Image credits: ixbye

#88 Happy New Year!

Image credits: crudolph0828

#89 Why The Flag Of Czech Republic Is Upside Down

Image credits: Successful-Yak-1318

#90 This “Safety Poster” That Corporate Sent Us To Print And Put Up In The Break Room

Image credits: daverapp

#91 These Toilet Cleaning Things Make Your Toilet Even Messier Looking

Image credits: CyberMonkeytron3000

#92 Terrible Restaurant Menu Design

Image credits: darkdetective

#93 Shower Heater. I Was Having Cold Showers For A Few Days, Waiting For A Technician

Image credits: ShaiNoy

#94 Oven Timer Dial With 4 Minute Increments

Image credits: MadsenUK

#95 Samsung’s New Weather Icon

#96 They Just Printed The Rings On Saturn

#97 These Toilet Cleaning Things Make Your Toilet Even Messier Looking

Source: boredpanda.com

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