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Dieter Rams, the godfather of industrial design, defined ‘good design’ as making the product useful, understandable, innovative, aesthetic, unobtrusive, honest, and long-lasting. But that’s not even close to being all! It also has to be thorough to the last detail, environmentally friendly, and involve as little design as possible. Over time, these ten principles have become the blueprint for design, inspiring many creators worldwide.

However, not all stick to such guidelines, producing many various design failures, which this successful subreddit takes pride in collecting. We, at Bored Panda, have published quite a few articles reviewing them, and today we are treating you to a list of some of the best, or perhaps worst ones, that make people scratch their heads from confusion. To find them, all you have to do is scroll down.

#1 Toilets And Mirror Ceiling

Image credits: zorton213

#2 This Clothing Display

Image credits: Agent_Orange7

#3 This Elevator

Image credits: Xadacka

Dieter Rams, a German industrial designer known for his less but better approach to design, outlined the characteristics of good design so creators know what is expected of them. He had immense influence in this field and helped to shape how products in the 20th and early 21st centuries looked and worked. Alarm clocks, toothbrushes, and coffeemakers are just a few of his hallmarks.

In the late 1970s, Rams tried to figure out the world around him, asking himself the important question, “Is my design good design?” The answer led him to his ten principles, which we’re going to discuss more below.

#4 Pulling Tissues From This Box Feels… Uncomfortable

Image credits: Teapotfox

#5 Professor, I Can’t Get These Audio Files In Our Textbook To Play

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#6 Nothing Like The Smell Of Coffee And A Good Eye-Stab In The Morning

Image credits: CosmeBuzzanito

First, a designer should always strive for innovation. The world is constantly progressing, and new technologies are offering plenty of opportunities for novel and inventive ideas. Therefore, design has to keep up by taking these creative ideas and turning them into useful solutions to modern problems.

Innovation in design can take many forms. It can involve new materials or technologies, rethinking traditional ways of designing, or finding fresh solutions to impractical issues. By embracing innovation, creators can come up with products that aren’t only functional but also sustainable and cost-effective.

#7 Sign At A Local Beach

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#8 I Bought A Billboard To Promote My Business And They Screwed Up The Formatting

Image credits: bencahn

#9 Crystal Furniture Set That Looks Like Raw Meat

Image credits: GautamXo

Even in the 1970s, Rams was concerned with the environment, waste, and consumer culture. In his 1976 speech, he said, “I imagine our current situation will cause future generations to shudder at the thoughtlessness in the way in which we today fill our homes, our cities, and our landscape with a chaos of assorted junk.”

#10

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#11 This Bath Bomb’s Final Color

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#12 Spoiler

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With fewer and fewer natural resources, he believes that both buyers and designers should take responsibility for the state our world is in. He calls for an end to wastefulness and continues to advocate sustainable and innovative creations.

#13 Tell Your Wedding Guests To Die

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#14 Gas Station In Nebraska. The Station’s Color Scheme Was Red. They Tried To Get Artsy

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#15 The Placement Of This Baby’s Head Wasn’t Quite Thought Through

Image credits: ninimalini

It’s self-explanatory that the main reason people buy a product is so they can use it. That’s why design shouldn’t detract from its usefulness either. However, an item that is considered useful to one may be entirely useless to others, so the specific criteria that determine this remain difficult to define.

#16 I Think I Know Why

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#17 Just Why

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#18 Being Gay Was A Sin They Said

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Something that makes buyers use the item more is if it’s aesthetically pleasing. When we don’t enjoy the look of it, we are less likely to pick it up.

Without a doubt, it should also be easy to utilize without any details interfering with the user’s experience. By saying that design should be unobtrusive, Rams is emphasizing the importance of simplicity and usability. Choosing a classic design that never looks outdated also prevents more products from ending up in landfills.

#19 This Amazing Pregnancy Test

Image credits: Explodinator580

#20 How Much Do You Trust Your “Multilingual” Ad Designer?

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#21 This Flower Print Dress

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Finally, the product should be honest with its consumers, meaning that a person shouldn’t feel disappointed when an item doesn’t work as well as they hoped. So the design should be as innovative, powerful, or valuable as it claims to be. According to Rams, products should be reliable, durable and allow people to use them as they were intended to be used.

#22 This Unfortunately Designed Kid’s Balloon

Image credits: ViolentThespian

#23 Oh Boy, There’s Platypus Period In My Tea!

Image credits: Solero93

#24 For When You Want A Near Death Experience Every Time You Use The Stairs

Image credits: Peeped

In a nutshell, the best design won’t require extra explaining to its users, who will very much appreciate how simple yet thoughtful creations understand the people they are designed for. Jared Spool, the American writer, researcher, and usability expert, put it best, “Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.”