Embarrassing Cost of Poor Design

Design of everyday things complaint of the day: within a building, the men and women’s restrooms should be in the same relative position (i.e. men always on the right, or always on the left). I suspect most people will agree with this on priciple, but do you want to know how bad it bit me?

The restooms nearest me (with men on the right) were closed by the janitor for cleaning, so I went to another set on the same floor and went in the right hand door. The restrooms in my office building are divided with the sinks by the door and the stalls in the back behind a divider. Luckily I just had to wash some ink off my hands, which I was doing when I heard a flush and then a woman came around the divider to the sink next to me. She gave me a funny look and it took me about a half a second to figure out what had happened, then I profusely apologized and left.

Finished laughing yet? :-)

Please consider the everyday folks who are going to have to live with the design decisions you make in software. Please, please, be consistent.

potential differences [/fun] permalink