10 exasperating design flaws in everyday objects

Becoming a better designer is not just about having the right graphic design tools or mastering grid theory. You need to open your eyes to the designs that play a part in your everyday life. Ask yourself: what’s good about them, why do they work so well? Or alternatively: what could be improved about them, how could they work better?

Sometimes, however, the results can be a little unexpected. When you stop and think about it, so many of the things we use every day just plain suck. Here we list 10 of the biggest offenders. [Warning, this subject gets people pretty riled up, so some images and videos contain expletives].

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Tom May
Freelance journalist and editor

Tom May is an award-winning journalist and author specialising in design, photography and technology. His latest book, The 50th Greatest Designers, was released in June 2025. He's also author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine.