Badly designed products are bad enough. But what might be worse -- annoying or senseless designs. They add on layers of unecessry complexity, making it exceedingly difficult for us poor slobs trying to use the things. Case in point is a new kind of torque screw. No argument that torque screws in general make a lot of sense -- once you tighten a screw down, it won't easily vibrate off. But what genius had to put an additional post in the center of the screw head? Now all your old wrenches don't work so you have to go buy a whole new set. Or, take you car to an expensive mechanic.
Another design that peeves me: the seatbelt warning on my 2007 Toyata Matrix. Don't get me wrong -- in general, I love the little car. It is cute and gets me where I want to go without gulping gas by the gallon. But the beeper that warns you forgot to put on your seatbelt drives me NUTS. It is a high, piercing wail that goes on seeminly forever. I've taken to letting my little dog ride in the passengar seat, and we often zip along uneventfully for miles, when suddenly off goes the &*^%$%$% alarm. Even the weight of a 15 lb dog sets it off! I can't wait to figure out how to kill that darn alarm.
Do you have any pet design peeves? If so, send them in and I might feature them here.