Although some may believe the field of design is easy, professional designers know better. Even the most prestigious brand names produce products with big design flaws. After real consumer use, even some of the most carefully developed and strictly tested products suffer from flawed design.

Apple – “Less is More”

The old saying “less is more” is generally a good rule to follow and mobile products are really no exception; however, Apple probably should have worked a little “more” into the touchscreen keyboard design on their iPhone products. It is fairly easy to understand what the iPhone designers were shooting for with their touchscreen keyboard by keeping it clean and compact. The problem stems mostly from the overall size of the design. People with large fingers have a lot of trouble typing text messages and emails. For these consumers, the small touch-keyboard design may actually send them to an Apple competitor. Even small-fingered customers take some time getting use to the size of the keyboard.

Ford’s dangerous Pinto design

The Ford Pinto first went on sale in 1970 as an answer to the new import competition in the US. It was a small, but popular model that gained a lot of success throughout its 10-year run of production. Unfortunately, the car is remembered more for its tragic design flaw than its sales success. Due to the location of the fuel tank at the back of the vehicle, even a low-speed collision could puncture the tank and result in a deadly fire. It cost up to 27 consumers their lives and ruined the Pinto’s reputation forever. In 1978, Ford finally recalled the model for dealer-installed fixes. The Pinto was formally replaced by the Escort in 1981.

The Remote control headache

The remote control first appeared in the late 1950s as a way to make the television viewing experience more relaxing for consumers. The remote idea enabled people to switch channels without having to stand up from their seat; however, the remote control also produced an entirely new set of frustrations for consumers everywhere. Whether you have a remote control for your television, Blu-Ray player, audio system or other technology, there’s no doubt you’ve gotten a remote control headache.

From simply losing the remote to understanding its functions and determining which device goes with which remote, this piece of technology can definitely be frustrating. The introduction of universal remotes helped alleviate a few of the problems, but many consumers still have trouble learning to use the remote control.

Large companies strive to design products that stand out from the competition and create value for their customers. They spend millions of dollars in research and testing on their products before mass-producing them; however, considerable design flaws still occur all the time. This shows that good design is not as easy as some may believe. Designing any product effectively takes years of experience, solid teamwork and great leadership. The designers must place themselves in the shoes of the customer so that they can stop potential flaws before they ever occur.