Design Fails For People Who Notice The Exit Sign First

Updated on November 22, 2025

I set out to label the pantry and instead fell into a rabbit hole of design fails while the kettle fogged the window. First real frost in Toronto, mittens by the door, and suddenly I’m cackling at layouts that clearly needed a second draft.

Today’s gallery lives where intent meets “oh no”: off-kilter interiors, bossy arrows that argue with reality, and packaging that turns a simple snack into a riddle. Think signage fails you spot at the mall, packaging fails at the grocery checkout, and interior design mistakes that make your chair question its job description. Cameos from IKEA, Home Depot, and the usual r/CrappyDesign suspects.

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What you just saw felt painfully familiar: a label that tells two stories at once, floor patterns that play tricks on ankles, and colors that forgot they have to coexist. The reason these design fails work as comedy is simple—they roast the moment, not the people, and you can read the joke without zooming.

Then came the wayfinding adventures. Hallway arrows voting in opposite directions, door decals promising clarity and delivering chaos, and a map that thinks mystery is a feature. That’s the purest form of signage fails: confident, unhelpful, unforgettable.

Packaging had a field day too. Fonts shouting over each other, windows placed where no product actually lives, and instructions that audition as poetry. Those packaging fails land because the idea almost works—you can feel the meeting where everyone nodded, and then the world said “hmm.”

The home stretch leaned domestic: statement walls that overstate, fixtures in conversations they shouldn’t be having, and seating that looks good until an actual human arrives. Interior design mistakes are the most relatable; they’re little reminders that measuring twice is cheaper than repainting thrice.

There’s a seasonal thread running through—salty boots at the threshold, string lights with big dreams, and labels trying very hard to be festive. Tucked between the laughs is a cozy truth: good design feels invisible; bad design brings snacks and demands attention. And yes, a tidy toolbox plus a level can prevent about half of this.

If you keep a small set for later, save one gentle “who approved this,” one “we tried our best,” and one honest “fix it next weekend.” Sprinkle them into the group chat whenever the world presents another puzzle you didn’t ask for. A few design fails turn any errand into a scavenger hunt.

Laura Bennett files snacks and labels feelings, then gently reminds fonts to use their inside voices.