Another Bad Design Example

Badly designed pepsi machine, the graphics look like buttons … on Twitpic

Let’s go with a light thought and topic for the day, considering there are sad examples of medical malfeasance and poor management oversight in the news.

Following up on my last blog about hotel room lighting controls that were so confusing, they required directions, I found this picture in my recent archives. It’s a hotel Pepsi machine (from the U.S.) where the front of the machine has these huge rectangular pictures of the products.

Apparently, the big pictures looked like buttons (they did to me). So they added a “Choose Here –>” sign, taking away from the aesthetic appeal of the machine.

I think it’s a great lesson in visual controls and design… what’s obvious to you as designer is not necessarily going to be obvious to the user. Don’t blame the user… I wonder if this flaw or weakness in the design was discovered early in the design process (and they just decided to run with it) or if it was discovered AFTER the machine was out in the market?