"The gray area comes in when people start to talk about taste and about degrees of aesthetic. I may love the design of Bauhaus furniture, for example, while somebody may feel that it is too cold and void of personality,” he said.
“Not unlike great art, I believe that much of what came from this era is ‘great design,’ in part because it represents an era and a philosophy. When we start to mix in discussions of taste and preference, that is where the gray areas of good and bad design get blurred,” Antoniuk noted why there’s some confusion as to whether or not some design decisions are good or bad.
The expert told Bored Panda that people can “feel” and sense good design, intuitively. "Quite often, this relates to ergonomics and the usability or functionality of the products and services and systems. Having said that, I think far too many people expect poor design that doesn’t really work well," he said.
"For me, great design is what Dieter [Rams] talks about—it is also intuitive, it is deeply sympathetic and empathetic to the user at all levels, and at some level, it is emotional. It is a catalyst for giving us feelings."
So, Pandas, which of these designs did you think were the worst of the bunch? Were there any that you actually liked and would be happy to have at home? Why do you personally think it's so hard for designers to notice their mistakes? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The concept of bad design resonates strongly across both of these pieces. As we explore a plethora of design mishaps, it becomes evident that many products suffer due to poorly thought-out creation processes.
If you're keen on further dissecting what exactly makes some designs so ineffective, consider looking into the discourse surrounding design mistakes that seem disconnected from the user's needs.