This page is dedicated to all the crappy industrial design, poor planning, dumb decisions, and general bone headedness that goes into products. In no particular order. I might have solutions, or at least suggestions.


Nikon D70/D70s: Nice camera. Poor eyepiece design. A small square rubber cup to stick up to your eye. Nevermind that every digital SLR has a fat back and its hard to get your eye up to like the film SLRs. Nikon's website says I can replace the rubber eyecup with a part number 2370 square to round adapter and then screw on a DK-6 eyecup (a nice fat rubber round one). Only problem is, that the DK-6 doesn't STAY on the 2370! It snaps on and is held in place by friction, and quite little of it in fact. To keep them together, one needs some sort of glass lens piece with a tiny thread to keep the cup stuck on the adapter. Well its not listed on Nikon's site, nor recommended by any other site, and no one I spoke with at some camera shops had a part nor knew what to do to get it to stay together. I resorted to some heavy duty 2-part epoxy glue. Works great, looks cheap. Obviously no one at Nikon actually TRIED putting these pieces together first. Maybe the piece exists, but who can find out?
Verdict: Failed product testing.

Pontiac GTO (2004): Nice car. Bland design. I drove one, great power, too cushy for me personally. Not a Firebird replacement for sure. But BLAND design can't be overstated. Why didn't GM just use the front end of the Monaro car is based on? That car is BEAUTIFUL as it is. The GTO didn't need to scream "Hey look at me with my Pontiac Kidney Bean grille!" Let that one be unique. Check out the Monaro front end: http://www.hsv.com.au/index_new.html

Verdict: Bad decision making by higher ups at GM. DUH!

Dumb Voice Mail Systems: My girlfriend adds this one. A voice mail system to take prescription refills for people. Totally automatic, leave a name, number, and prescription number. EXCEPT when the entire office goes to lunch, and a receptionist answers the calls... and disables the automatic prescription line. No way to get into a leave a message even. How ridiculous.
Verdict: Probably poor user training, or at worst, bad product design.

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