We’ve all encountered products that make us scratch our heads and wonder, “What were they thinking?” Sometimes, in an effort to make a product better, designers inadvertently make it worse—more complicated, less user-friendly, and unnecessarily expensive. I had a firsthand experience with this recently that perfectly illustrates the problem.
I was at the gym in my hotel, looking forward to a good run on the treadmill. As I got started, I noticed an additional control panel mounted on the treadmill—positioned conveniently (or so the designers thought) for easier access while running. It seemed like a good idea at first glance. However, as I started to pick up speed, it became painfully clear (literally) that this extra panel was more of a hindrance than a help.
The problem? When you’re running, your hands tend to extend slightly forward, especially during a vigorous stride. The poorly placed panel jutted out just enough to turn this natural motion into a hazard. I ended up hitting my knuckles against it several times, which was both frustrating and mildly painful. What made it worse was realizing that the extra panel wasn’t even necessary. The same controls were already present on the main console of the treadmill.
This so-called “improvement” didn’t just harm the user experience; it also likely added to the cost of manufacturing. Designing, producing, and installing this redundant feature undoubtedly increased the treadmill’s price—all for something that actively made the product worse.
The Common Pitfalls of Design Overreach
This treadmill fiasco isn’t an isolated case. It’s part of a larger pattern of bad design decisions driven by the desire to make a product “better.” Here are some common pitfalls:
- Overcomplicating the Product: Adding features that don’t solve real problems often creates more confusion than value.
- Ignoring User Behavior: Designers sometimes fail to understand how people will actually interact with a product in real-world scenarios.
- Solving Nonexistent Problems: Introducing a feature to address an issue that users don’t actually face can backfire.
- Underestimating Costs: Every new feature comes with a price—in materials, manufacturing, and complexity—that may outweigh its benefits.
Lessons from the Treadmill
Reflecting on my knuckle-busting treadmill experience, I think there are several lessons to be learned:
- Observe Real-World Use: User testing could have easily revealed this design flaw. Watching someone run on the treadmill would have shown how the extra panel interferes with natural movement.
- Focus on Core Functionality: The primary purpose of a treadmill is to provide a safe and effective running experience. Any addition should enhance, not detract from, that goal.
- Keep It Simple: Simplicity isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about making a product intuitive and effective. Redundancy, like the extra panel, rarely aligns with this principle.
The Value of Thoughtful Design
This experience left me with a renewed appreciation for the power of thoughtful, user-centric design. Good design isn’t about cramming in as many features as possible; it’s about understanding the user’s needs and solving their problems elegantly. When we lose sight of this, we risk creating products that are not only more expensive but also fundamentally worse.
So, the next time you’re designing a product—or even just choosing one to buy—ask yourself: Does this feature truly add value? Or is it just an unnecessary complication? Because as I learned the hard way on that treadmill, not all improvements are created equal.
