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reliefkey

bad 90's design page

The illusion of great design

Probably not, because you just experienced good design.
Well, maybe not right, right now, but within the last day there’s a good chance you have, and by not noticing it, indicates that you had the pleasure of experiencing great design.

A good example I took notice of recently is my Ryobi circular saw. There’s a safety that keeps you from accidentally pressing the go button and cutting your finger off. Now, they could have made the safety in a way that puts it on one side for only right-handed people. But! Being the smart designers they are, they made it so that you can push it with your thumb from either side of the handle. This is such a small feature, that is so so important, especially for left-handed people so they can use their dominant hand. Or for me when I need to hold the wood with my right and cut with my left hand.

Bad design just glares at you light a loud siren, it screams “THIS SUCKS LOOK AT ME!” You can’t help but notice it. Now, when it’s good design, you’ll take in the experience and enjoy what’s going on, but not really pay attention to why. While with bad design, you immediately know what’s wrong, and why it’s wrong.



So next time you don’t notice something, try asking yourself if you just experienced great design. Then thank the designer for all their hard work because great, spectacular, phenomenal design, especially experience design, is one of the most difficult endeavors to embark on, let alone achieve.