29 Hilariously Bad Product Designs That Get a Lot of Laughter

“Brainstorm” by andymangold is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Design plays a crucial role in our everyday lives, affecting the products we use and the spaces we inhabit. However, not every design is a winner; in fact, some are downright baffling! Here’s a humorous roundup of product designs that are so bad, they’ve become legendary in the realm of internet ridicule. Let’s dive into the first half of our lineup, featuring 17 product designs that will leave you scratching your head.

1. **Women’s Underwear**: Oh, the irony! The very part that’s supposed to catch all the mess is always positioned too far back. It’s like some designer thought, ‘Let’s make this a game of hide and seek!’ Spoiler alert: nobody wins this one.

2. **Nissan Pathfinder Shift**: Getting the shift into neutral on this car is akin to winning at a carnival game. Seriously, who designs a car part like this? Almost destroyed my car trying to wash it. That’s a fun trip to the mechanic!

3. **Dishwasher Beep**: Ever had a dishwasher that beeps at you loudly enough for the neighbors to hear? Mine does! And it has a particularly *charming* feature where if you ignore it, it will continue to beep every 45 minutes until you open the door. Perfect for those late-night dishwashing sessions!

4. **Dyson Vacuum Cleaners**: Dyson, you had one job! These vacuums are like a cruel joke if you’re a parent with pets. The cleaning head clogs every ten minutes, and disassembling it requires a degree in engineering. If I wanted a workout, I’d just lift weights, thanks!

5. **Baby Wipes**: Let’s talk about those supposedly easy-to-open baby wipe packages. They tease you with perforations that don’t actually work. You end up wrestling with the package like it’s a greased pig at a county fair. And of course, when you need just one, you get a fistful instead!

6. **Automatic Litter Box**: This design might have been tested using water, but apparently not with actual cats. The motor is weak, and when it comes to poop, it’s a total disaster. I called for support, and the representative had never owned a cat. Talk about design oversight!

7. **Chevrolet Trunk**: Imagine having a dead battery, and your trunk won’t open because it has no keyhole or physical release cable. The battery is literally in the trunk! That’s what I call a design fail that’s also an escape room challenge!

“New clothes iron from Panasonic.” by MIKI Yoshihito. (#mikiyoshihito) is licensed under CC BY 2.0

8. **Iron with Restart Feature**: My new iron restarts when tipped over. So, if a playful pet knocks it over, it could very well start heating up face-down. Talk about a recipe for disaster—who designed this thing, the same person who invented the smoke alarm, perhaps?

9. **Women’s Clothing Pockets**: Let’s not forget the classic case of women’s pockets: or lack thereof. You get the biggest tease with faux pockets that are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Who needs functional pockets anyway?

10. **Single Ply Toilet Paper**: Enough said. The struggle is real with single ply. Is this toilet paper or an advanced sandpaper? If I wanted a rough experience, I’d go camping!

11. **Kids’ Bubbles in Test Tubes**: Because what’s better for a child’s bubble play than a test tube that can’t stand up? You can only put it down with the cap on, which is like asking kids to play with a firework without lighting it!

12. **Ladies’ Toilets**: New office ladies’ rooms that have no space for sanitary product bins? We’ve reached peak design absurdity! The bins are shoved into corners, making the toilets practically unusable. Congratulations, it’s a tight squeeze!

13. **Short Faucets**: These faucets are so short that you can’t fit both hands under them without touching the back of the sink. Why, oh why? And don’t get me started on the push-activated ones that last for two seconds—clearly not designed for hand washing!

14. **Toys with One Volume**: Whoever designed kids’ toys that only have one volume—*extremely loud*—clearly does not have kids. If you want to experience the sound of a thousand screams, just press that button!

15. **Everything for Left-Handed Short People**: If you’re short and left-handed, good luck finding scissors, kitchen cabinets, or even pants that don’t make you feel like an afterthought. It’s a design conspiracy, I tell ya!

16. **LED Devices in Bedrooms**: Devices that have an always-on LED in your bedroom? Who thought this was a good idea? Now I can’t sleep because I’m having a one-on-one with the glowing aliens in my room!

“Hahn 28cm Non Stick Buffet Saute Pan” by Cooks & Kitchens is licensed under CC BY 2.0

17. **Pots with Hot Handles**: Let’s conclude with pots that have handles that get burning hot. What’s the point of cooking if you can’t even handle your cookware? It’s like a surprise from the oven that you didn’t ask for!

“Coda coffee bag wvllet” by dollen is licensed under CC BY 2.0

18. **Coffee Packs with Tear Here Markings**: It’s like a cruel joke knowing that those ‘tear here’ markings on coffee packs are usually where the package is strongest. You want a fresh cup of coffee, not a battle with the packaging that makes you feel like you need a degree in origami just to get to the beans!

19. **Sanitary Pads**: Marketed as ‘zero bunching,’ these pads are the ultimate betrayal. They can only have been designed by someone who doesn’t use them. It’s as if the designers were playing a prank on those who actually need them. You’re left wondering, how can something so simple go so wrong?

20. **Printers**: Ah, printers—the necessary evil of modern technology. Every printer seems to have a will of its own. Out of ink? Paper jam? Forget to connect to Wi-Fi? It’s like they conspire to ruin your day right when you need them the most. If only they could print good vibes, we’d be in business.

21. **Kitchen Trash Cans**: Most kitchen trash cans are basically a design disaster. You might think you’re splurging on a great one, but chances are, it’s going to decide that it’s not going to hold the bag properly and leave you struggling with a mess that’s just as annoying as a pop-up ad.

22. **Sliding Shower Doors**: Whoever designed sliding shower doors with overlapping sections is probably living their best life, unaware they’ve created a nightmare for cleaners everywhere. It’s like a secret puzzle that requires disassembly just to wipe down the glass!

23. **Bacon Packages**: Can we get a ziplock for bacon, please? Nothing is worse than getting half the package out at once when you only wanted to fry up a couple of slices. It’s a recipe for disappointment and greasy fingers.

24. **Kitchen Gadgets Gone Wrong**: If you ever bought a kitchen gadget thinking it would revolutionize your cooking, only to find it’s as useful as a chocolate teapot, you know the pain. Who needs another gadget that promises to simplify cooking only to create more mess?

25. **Bathroom Sinks**: Bathroom sinks that don’t drain properly. Is it too much to ask for a sink that allows you to wash your hands without having to constantly unclog it? Apparently so, because these sinks are practically designed to be a water trap.

“Philip Garner high heel roller skate” by adrigu is licensed under CC BY 2.0

26. **High Heels with Missing Support**: Heels that look great but provide no support at all are the ultimate betrayal. You end up wondering if you should have just opted for the sneakers instead of risking your ankles for the sake of fashion.

27. **Toilet Design**: Some toilets have been designed with such poor flushing systems that it’s like they’re saying, ‘Good luck with that!’ It’s a game of chance every time you flush, and who wants to play roulette when you’re in a rush?

28. **Overzealous Home Gadgets**: You know those home gadgets that promise to automate everything? Often they create more work instead of saving time. It’s like the gadget was designed to make you feel like a tech guru but ends up making your home life a comedy of errors instead.

29. **Air Fresheners**: Lastly, air fresheners that claim to eliminate specific odors but instead mask them with an overwhelming fragrance, creating a whole new problem. It’s as if they decided that the solution to bad smells was just to create a floral explosion instead!

“Design Assignments 2010 Higher Grade Product Design * Jonny” by Jordanhill School D&T Dept is licensed under CC BY 2.0

As we wrap up this journey through the bizarre world of product design fails, it’s essential to remember that every design is a reflection of the thought—or lack thereof—that went into it. Sometimes, the most entertaining stories come from the things that were supposed to help us but instead leave us shaking our heads in disbelief. So the next time you encounter a design disaster, just remember: it’s all part of the wild adventure of consumerism! Let’s keep laughing and sharing these tales of epic fails, because humor is the best way to cope with the absurdity that surrounds us.