Examples of Poor Design from the Built Environment

A couple weeks ago, while on a weekend getaway in Idaho, I came across two examples of poor designs found in the built environment (see the two pictures provided below).

As you will notice from the above picture, it has the word “PUSH” printed in large, all caps font.  Even though it has a sign instructing the user how to appropriately enter the door, many people, myself included, still grabbed the door handle and pulled.  I’m sure you might be asking yourself how that is possible.  Do these people not pay attention when moving through their environment?   Perhaps.  But, the more likely answer is found in the concept of affordances.  Affordances are perceived qualities of an object that provide a user with information on how it can or should be used.  In this instance, the shape of the door handle is such that a person is apt to interpret that it should be pulled.  A more appropriate design would have been a flat plate, sans handle,  mounted to the door.  This would prevent the user from having to make a split-second decision about whether to push or pull, thus eliminating any confusion.

The above photo shows a poorly designed bathroom sink.  The problem arises from the faucet being set too far from the basin’s edge.  Thus, people have a tendency to bump their hands against the edge of the basin when washing.  The easy fix is to either move the faucet closer to the edge of the basin or increase the circumferance of the basin so its edge is closer to the faucet.

 Print This Post