General design stupidity

[pjug]

This thread is for venting on bad product design, especially when this replaces something perfectly good. My credit card prompted me to start this so lets start there:

Why in the world are credit cards going from cards with nice large raised numbers to designs with a blank front side and small print on the back. And in my case not just small print but print with almost no contrast - light grey against slightly darker grey. I honestly cannot read these.

 

[JeffS7444]

Why in the world are credit cards going from cards with nice large raised numbers to designs with a blank front side and small print on the back. And in my case not just small print but print with almost no contrast - light grey against slightly darker grey. I honestly cannot read these.

I can partly answer that one: Because the raised characters no longer really have a purpose as they did in the days when a retailer would take your card and make an impression of it on a charge slip, and people only rarely have a need to do more than hold the card briefly over a no-contact reader these days. And in the case of Apple, they'd rather every merchant used Apple Pay and dispense with the physical card altogether.

Me, I question the popular trend in automobiles to centralize many functions onto a touch screen which cannot be operated without taking one's eyes off the road.

 

[RayDunzl]

Me, I question the popular trend in automobiles to centralize many functions onto a touch screen which cannot be operated without taking one's eyes off the road.

I'm sure you'll like this one, if it ever comes to pass:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/12/16880978/gm-autonomous-car-2019-detroit-auto-show-2018

"GM will make an autonomous car without steering wheel or pedals"

Of course, it seems odd that they couldn't figure out how to integrate the Climate Control

I wonder what it does if you press the red triangle?

 

[sailor2005]

I'm sure you'll like this one, if it ever comes to pass:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/12/16880978/gm-autonomous-car-2019-detroit-auto-show-2018

"GM will make an autonomous car without steering wheel or pedals"

Of course, it seems odd that they couldn't figure out how to integrate the Climate Control


View attachment 107787


I wonder what it does if you press the red triangle?

Red triangle? Ejection seat, of course...

 

[Dogen]

I'm sure you'll like this one, if it ever comes to pass:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/12/16880978/gm-autonomous-car-2019-detroit-auto-show-2018

"GM will make an autonomous car without steering wheel or pedals"

Of course, it seems odd that they couldn't figure out how to integrate the Climate Control


View attachment 107787


I wonder what it does if you press the red triangle?

Shouldn’t they give the guy a dummy steering wheel, so he can feel in charge?

 

[maverickronin]

I can partly answer that one: Because the raised characters no longer really have a purpose as they did in the days when a retailer would take your card and make an impression of it on a charge slip, and people only rarely have a need to do more than hold the card briefly over a no-contact reader these days. And in the case of Apple, they'd rather every merchant used Apple Pay and dispense with the physical card altogether.

The embossed number are much better because they never rub off. I've had a couple cards where the CV2's weren't, and they became almost unreadable by the time it was expired.

 

[pjug]

I can partly answer that one: Because the raised characters no longer really have a purpose as they did in the days when a retailer would take your card and make an impression of it on a charge slip, and people only rarely have a need to do more than hold the card briefly over a no-contact reader these days.

But those big raised numbers are also easy to read even when the card gets beat up. I can't read the print on the back of the card. Worse, the less important print like telephone numbers is bright white that I can easily read but the card number and expiration are in greay with no contrast. And many transactions are done without a machine, such as when I order something online from my sofa.

 

[anmpr1]

Any automobile design (which is pretty much all of them) where you have to navigate a touch screen menu tree in order to engage a routine function that used to be done very simply with a button or knob. [You used to be able to turn a knob while keeping your eyes on the road. Now you have to take your eyes off the road in order to make an adjustment.]

EPA/CARB approved plastic gasoline containers. [The fact that government can muck up something as simple as a gas can tells you all you need to know about government.]

 

[pjug]

On cars, my new car has pushbutton start and an oversized fob. I had to de-solder the contact for the panic button because it kept going off when the thing was in my pocket. Now I always forget and leave my keys in the car because I can't use my habit developed over 40 years of holding onto the keys after after taking them out of the steering column.

 

[weasels]

But those big raised numbers are also easy to read even when the card gets beat up. I can't read the print on the back of the card. Worse, the less important print like telephone numbers is bright white that I can easily read but the card number and expiration are in greay with no contrast. And many transactions are done without a machine, such as when I order something online from my sofa.

Removing embossing from the production process reduces the cost to issue the physical card.

The poor contrast on printed numbers is just bad design.

 

[weasels]

On cars, my new car has pushbutton start and an oversized fob. I had to de-solder the contact for the panic button because it kept going off when the thing was in my pocket. Now I always forget and leave my keys in the car because I can't use my habit developed over 40 years of holding onto the keys after after taking them out of the steering column.

On a similar note, my car's external keyhole is only accessible by popping the plastic cover of the door handle off. If the fob battery dies, I have to pry the door handle off to get into my car.

 

[weasels]

My current bad design peeve is Amazon providing no input control on their echo link amp.

So close to a great product...

 

[pma]

I think it is because of permanently deepening gap between design and practice. I can see it in audio discussions as well.

 

[pjug]

If my fob dies I have to pry it open to get the mechanical key out to unlock the car, then hold the fob to the start button and hope the car will start. I almost wanted to return the car when I saw this but I gave in after trying it and making sure it wasn't overly difficult.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Any automobile design (which is pretty much all of them) where you have to navigate a touch screen menu tree in order to engage a routine function that used to be done very simply with a button or knob. [You used to be able to turn a knob while keeping your eyes on the road. Now you have to take your eyes off the road in order to make an adjustment.]

EPA/CARB approved plastic gasoline containers. [The fact that government can muck up something as simple as a gas can tells you all you need to know about government.]

Yes to both of these. The gasoline container is one of those things where you wonder if the guys making the rules ever just once had hands on one to try and use it.

And why change it anyway. I think the report I saw estimated the new gasoline cans save 3.6 lives per year. Now each life is precious, but you wonder if such low numbers are out of the error band. And you wonder was there not something that kills more than 4 people a year worth looking into rather than making a simple gasoline container nearly unusable.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I have a Garmin smart watch. It has to be recharged about every 3rd or 4th day. It warns you when the battery is getting low. The design issue: once you initially turn it on, there is no method that can be used to turn it off. If you know you'll not be charging it soon, you could turn it off to keep from draining the battery completely except there is no off procedure. Not smart if you ask me.

 

[mansr]

But those big raised numbers are also easy to read even when the card gets beat up. I can't read the print on the back of the card. Worse, the less important print like telephone numbers is bright white that I can easily read but the card number and expiration are in greay with no contrast. And many transactions are done without a machine, such as when I order something online from my sofa.

Simple solution: memorise the card number and security code.

The poor contrast on printed numbers is just bad design.

Low contrast makes it harder for someone to see/photograph it if you use the card in public.

 

[pjug]

Simple solution: memorise the card number and security code.


Low contrast makes it harder for someone to see/photograph it if you use the card in public.

I used to have it memorized but I got a new number after a fraud alert. Plus I have 3 credit cards and a debit card that I use. Memorizing that is out of my league. If someone wants to steal my number by looking at it the poor contrast is giving them a hell of a lot longer look as I struggle with it.

 

[mansr]

I used to have it memorized but I got a new number after a fraud alert. Plus I have 3 credit cards and a debit card that I use. Memorizing that is out of my league. If someone wants to steal my number by looking at it the poor contrast is giving them a hell of a lot longer look as I struggle with it.

I have two cards I use regularly in ways that require me to enter the number. After a few times, I remembered them without really trying. You don't need to read the number when using the card in a shop terminal.

 

[pjug]

I have two cards I use regularly in ways that require me to enter the number. After a few times, I remembered them without really trying. You don't need to read the number when using the card in a shop terminal.

Ha I barely have my cell phone number memorized. But you are right that I could do it if I put my mind to it. My view is that the number would be much more likely to be stolen some other way than by photo or sneaking a view, at least given my buying habits. By making the card really hard to read the company has made a worse problem rather than making headway on the problem they are going after.