Designing is an art form. However, some people are better at it than others. That’s what these 75 photos of ridiculous design choices prove. These individuals thought they were doing something really clever, but what they actually did was create a bunch of giant accidents waiting to happen. With these dangerous designs, it’s only a matter of time until something really bad goes down.
While some of these poor designs are pretty funny, others just make us want to shake our head and say, ‘Why?’ However, the one thing that they all have in common is that they were designed by someone who had no idea what they were doing. That much we can guarantee.
There is nothing more ironic than blocking the entire bike lane with a sign that says “give cyclists space”. The cyclists will have to swerve into the middle of the road to miss it. We can only hope that traffic is paying attention.
As if smoking a single cigarette at a time wasn’t dangerous enough, this device from the 1950s allows smokers to burn through an entire pack in one big drag. They thought it was a really smart design idea. Then they started researching the long term effects of tobacco…
Let’s all pray that these tracks aren’t in use anymore. Otherwise, the next train that rolls on by is going to be in for a big surprise. It might find that it gets stopped right in its tracks.
The Road Runner is at it again, playing dangerous tricks on people. This time though, it’s drivers that are at risk instead of the Wile Coyote. After people started slamming into the mural with their vehicles, designers finally decided to paint it over.
Both of the designs on these two Tesco products look about the same. However, one of them is delicious and tasty while the other can kill. Here’s to hoping consumers don’t accidentally grab the wrong one!
Every building is required to have some sort of fire safety equipment to use in case of an emergency. Although, if it’s not easily accessible, it really doesn’t do much good. Whoever installed a railing around the hydrant in this stairwell didn’t really think things through.
It looks like you are about to step down onto the floor, but really, it’s just an illusion. There is an additional uncarpeted step there that blends right in. We can only imagine how many people are going to end up tripping on that.
This set of stairs is just as ridiculous. They chose a carpet pattern that pretty much guarantees that people are going to be tripping.
Imagine stepping out of your hotel room onto the balcony, only to realize that no one ever built the balcony. The door is there but the floor is not. It would be a pretty quick way to get down to the lobby though.
The designer of this package of razor blades didn’t really consider the consequences of their branding choices. “Do it, satisfaction guaranteed,” the label reads. In the hands of the wrong person, it could end up being a dangerous purchase.
If you’re not careful, you might get a prickly surprise upon sitting down on one of these unfortunate benches. The city could have planted some lovely flowers in the center of them. Instead, they chose prickly pear cactuses.
It’s exactly what every infant needs — a cage hanging out the window to play in. The views are probably pretty good from there, but something about the design just doesn’t seem very safe to us, even with the metal screen.
We’re no experts, but tires probably aren’t a good choice when it comes to supporting thousands of pounds of house. The foundation is the most important part of a home. If it collapses, everything else comes crashing down.
This bathroom is basically a free for all. Which one is which? While it is not necessarily a dangerous design fail, it could definitely create some issues.
Not only is it the steepest set of stairs that we’ve ever seen, but the steps are also v-shaped instead of flat. Even a regular ladder would likely be safer, but for whatever reason, they chose a design that looks more like a vertical saw.
We understand that a company would want to keep their branding the same across all of their bottles. However, making the women’s laxative and allergy relief labels basically the same seems like it could lead to a very messy mistake.
It’s the playground of death. If you accidentally go down either one of the slides, you’ll fall at least three stories. The best case scenario is that you get caught on the power lines and don’t hit the ground at full speed.
18. Power Outlet Fountain
There is current coming out of this outlet, but it looks like it’s the wrong type. Everyone knows that electricity and water don’t mix… everyone except for the designer. They hooked the outlet up to the pipes instead of the wires.
This outlet is almost as bad as the last one. While there is no water running through it yet, there easily could be. All it would take is for someone to turn on the faucet. It’s one of the most illogical designs that we have ever seen.
This slide was originally named “The Cannonball Loop”. It turned out to be so dangerous that within days of opening the new attraction, they had to shut it down. The thrill simply wasn’t worth the risk.
Whoever installed these traffic signals is going to be in trouble. They are facing the wrong direction! We could understand if they forget to screw in one of the light bulbs or something, but an error of this magnitude is inexcusable.
They made the sanitizer candy scented so kids would like using it. It never crossed the designer’s mind that the toddlers might be inspired to put it in their mouths. If it smells like Tootsie Rolls, it tastes like Tootsie Rolls, right?
You had better be really focused when cruising along this tiny bike lane. It combines two sports at once — cycling and swimming. One tiny accidental turn of the handlebars will land you in the canal.
They placed a utility pole place right in the middle of one of the traffic lanes, but don’t worry. They attached a reflective sign to it so you wouldn’t miss it. What could go wrong?
If you are going for a ride on this piece of playground equipment, you had better be really good at ducking. Otherwise, your smile will quickly be turned upside-down, literally. The cement wall will knock you right over.
The apartment complex installed the railings of the balcony, but they forget the most important part — the floor. Maybe they ran out of money to complete the project? That’s the only thing we can think of.
We love that they attempted to make the park more handicap accessible. However, we don’t really understand the thought process of the designers. They left three more steps to climb at the end of the ramp, totally defeating the purpose of it.
This crazy bathroom has all sorts of dangerous design problems. For example, the fact that they put a shower over top of a set of stairs. Soap, plus water, plus stairs is a pretty risky combination.
The funniest part about this design fail is that it is located in an actual design school. Whenever students try and make their way down the walkway, they find themselves having to climb over support beams.
Every story of this giant skyscraper has its own door. You can open them, but just don’t take a step. It would be the last door that you ever walk through.
This bike lane would make for a great BMX course. It runs right into the guard rail. You either bunny hop over it, grind the rail, or wreck the bike. Those are the options.
This building makes us really uncomfortable. We’re not sure what’s worse, standing underneath it, or entering it. Either choice seems kind of risky. It feels likea strong gust of wind could probably blow the building over.
If operating a wheelchair was an extreme sport, this is what the ramp would look like. Don’t worry though, if you lose control there is a big potted plant at the end of the track to stop you.
This parking lot design is not the best. If you follow the arrow, you’ll end up crashing your car. It leads right into a huge lamp post. If you swerve to the left to miss it, you hit the manhole cover which is sunk in deep enough to bottom out your vehicle.
This tunnel mural is shockingly realistic and the mystical land on the other side looks extremely appealing. Although, it’s hard to get to. If you try to drive through the tunnel, you’ll wake up in the hospital.
Whose bright idea was it to mix gumballs and bouncing balls together in the same machine? They put up a warning sign, but there’s just one problem — most toddlers can’t read.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a city official place a telephone pole right in the middle of the road. However, this one is even worse than the others because it is located on a curve. It would be so easy to accidentally hit.
Don’t kick the kickball. That’s what this confusing label says. We don’t really get it. If it is not for kicking, then what is it for? Foot bowling, perhaps?
It’s the most fun playground in the world! If you go down the slide, you’ll hit a tree. They could have just installed the slide two more feet to the left where there is a clear path, but nope!
They had one job — to build a functional staircase. They completely failed. Only one side is actually usable. If you go up the other side, you’ll run right into the railing.
Imagine reaching to the dashboard to adjust the volume on the radio and your car starts going in reverse. With this poor design, it’s something that could easily happen. You twist a knob to change the car’s gears.
This pedestrian path is lovely. The big tree in the middle of it is kind of annoying though. There is not really a lot of room to navigate around it. On the right, you basically have to walk through mud. On the left, there is a fence.
Why is there a door installed next to the ceiling of the classroom? We have no idea, but if we had to speculate, it could be in case the dean ever wants to “drop” in for a minute and watch the class.
It looks like a pretty sketchy road, but at least the scenery is nice. The bus passengers have an amazing view of the canyon. The only issue is if they ever encounter a car coming in the other direction. There is not a lot of extra room.
It’s located several stories up in the air on the side of the wall. In order to plug anything in, you have to stretch several feet out over the railing. It seems like a recipe for disaster.
The fire escape on this building doesn’t look very reliable. In fact, if you try to utilize it during an emergency, you might find yourself facing a second additional emergency. Escaping the fire would involve making a big leap.
Is it a difficult to navigate handicap ramp, a tiny set of stairs, or just a tripping hazard? We’re not entirely positive. Our best guess is that it’s some sort of poorly designed combination of all three.
It’s the perfect place for a massive light post — right in the middle of the driveway. While we can’t imagine it raises the property value much, at least the house has a well-lit yard.
This basketball hoop is swoosh-only. If you try and bank it, you’re going right through the glass. How this window is still intact, we have no idea. The kids must be professionals.
It’s a pretty cool tent setup. Let’s just hope that neither vehicle decides to start their engines with someone inside. Breathing in exhaust fumes is not a great way to wake up in the morning.
We can’t believe how many designers totally fail at making wheelchair ramps. They spray painted the base of the tree so it was visible, but still, there is no way a wheelchair is squeezing through there. It’s obvious that this design just isn’t going to work.
Hopefully you are paying attention when walking down this set of stairs. If not, you’re going to run straight into the metal pole. It would be a super painful experience.
When getting out of this bathtub, you have to be really careful. There is a tiny ledge and if you miss it, you’re falling down the stairs. Try not to splash any water or soap out of the bath either. That would make things even more challenging.
This funny design fail was spotted in Belgium. It’s a country where they put parking meters right in the middle of the road. It could have been placed on the sidewalk, but for some reason, they didn’t think of that.
It’s becoming painfully clear to us that there isn’t a lot of standardization when it comes to wheelchair ramps. Every one is unique. Take this ramp for example. It would be pretty much impossible to push yourself up it.
It looks just like a water bottle. Upon closer inspection, it turns out it is actually glue. Drink it at your own risk. While it does say it’s non-toxic, we imagine it might clog your insides up a bit.
This one was spotted at a Denny’s restaurant. The fire alarm is located inside of the claw machine. If you ever smell smoke while eating there, hopefully, you have some quarters on you and there is someone good at the claw game around to hook the lever.
Whether this is just a random set of stairs or an unfinished fire escape is yet to be determined. However, it’s clear that if you attempt to travel this path, you’re going to hit a dead end. It is either jump or turn back around.
It’s the greatest blimp in the world they said. It’s totally safe. As long as no fires happen… Then a fire happened. It was one of the biggest design fails in all of history. They used highly flammable gas to make it float.
60. Dangerous Parking Spot
It looked like such a good place to park. Then the passenger tried stepping out of the vehicle. They quickly learned that it was better to just stay in the car.
61. Air Conditioning Hack
The AC was broken in the car, so they found an interesting solution. — attach a generator to the roof and an air conditioning unit to the window. It’s a hilarious idea, although, we’re not sure if it will pass inspection.
There is no meter to pay in this space, but there is a tree you have to try and get around. If you happen to hit it, the damages could add up very quickly. It’s no surprise that this parking space is not used very often.
It’s a car that drives like a three-wheeler. You could do some serious donuts in this bad boy. There is a slight risk that you could tip it over though and scrape up the frame though.
Poor design? No problem. Just slap a caution sign on it. Even if two of the stairs are slanted in opposite directions, it’s totally fine. Caution signs fix everything.
This slide will really launch you. Look at that little girl fly! Every time you go down it, the chance of getting a broken bone is pretty much 50-50.
This door is a little difficult to get to. It involves a fair amount of climbing. Then, once you do actually get up to the ledge, it could crumble out from underneath you at any moment.
Here we have another awesome Belgium design job. They blocked the garage with the electrical breaker boxes. Maybe it’s just a cultural difference, but somehow, we don’t think so.
We hope someone wouldn’t be inconsiderate enough to pee in the hand dryer, but we could see it happening. Especially since the bathroom designers placed it right in line with the other urinal. It’s an accident waiting to happen.
Which came first, the wall or the escalator? Either way, it was a really bad design job. We think we’ll be taking the stairs if we ever come across a situation like this.
The most likely explanation is that the ramp was positioned correctly at first. Then it collapsed. No one could actually be dumb enough to design a ramp like this on purpose, could they?
Just follow the signs and you’ll be okay. That’s what these hikers were told when they went out for an excursion into the wilderness. Then they came across this gem. One sign says the trail is one way and the other says the opposite.
72. Slipping Through The Crack
While no adult is likely going to fall through the open gap at the bottom of the fence, imagine if you had a toddler or a small dog with you. One wrong step and it could quickly turn into an emergency situation.
Hopefully you are wearing a helmet if you go out cycling in this city. The arrow on the bike path leads cyclists right into a cement post. The designers really should have painted it in a different location.
If you step through this door without looking, you’ll end up tumbling down the stairs, or at the very least, twisting an ankle. It’s a huge safety hazard.
We could easily see some kid eating these inedible hard wax beans. After all, the designers did name the product “cosmic candy”. We don’t know really know what they do, but they are located in the hair removal section, so that’s a bad sign.
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