1. Everyday things with an impractical design -- thus rendering the object difficult to use. For example: there's a door at a Marriott hotel in my hometown with a pull handle yet it has to be pushed in order to open.
Why? Because some people may find the handle to aid in pushing the door open -- a design concept that is targeted for a specific function.
2. Most of the RTS buses on-campus are out of service once the sun goes down. This makes it really hard for me to get around in the evening, and I end up having to walk everywhere.
Why? Perhaps there isn't enough funding to pay bus drivers wages for extended hours
3. The bathroom in my dorm (Graham) is communal -- meaning I share it with everyone on my floor. The showers and stalls can get dirty really quickly and sometimes there's way too many people using them at the same time.
Why? Since my dorm is mainly for Freshman, this communal layout of an everyday place could foster a sense of "community" and build relationships.
4. The temperature in my classrooms are usually way too cold, and yet once I head outside it is very hot -- this makes it difficult for me to pick an appropriate clothing outfit.
why? The AC may vary from place to place -- some buildings have a stronger airflow than others, thus feeling colder.
5. Using the Maps application on my phone to get walking directions almost always leads me into the wrong direction -- I end up awkwardly making circles in the general area of the place I'm attempting to locate. This happened to me in the beginning of the year when I was trying to locate the Reitz bus stop.
Why? This can be due to my poor navigation skills or a design interface that isn't simple to use or understand.
6. I don't like going to a shopping center or restaurant with way too many options for me to choose -- especially when all the variety of options aren't organized/categorized in a way that allows feasibility for the consumer.
Why? The many options provided at certain restaurants or other retail centers make a variety of different choices accessible to the consumer -- which overall provides a greater experience as customers are more likely to end up with something that they liked as opposed to having limited options.
7. Heavy public construction is usually accompanied by closed roads, which means I have to make a detour/find alternative routes to get to wherever I needed to go -- this happens frequently in the downtown areas of large cities.
Why? Heavy road construction is usually done to expand the pathway or improve the quality of the road, making it beneficial and more convenient in the long-run.
8. During the first week of the semester, the line to purchase something at the UF bookstore is incredibly long, as many people fill up the place.
Why? The beginning of the semester is when everyone is rushing to get the books and materials they need to have a successful start to their classes.
9. When I'm in a parking lot that is almost completely full -- yet I gain a bit of hope once I spot a small space/"empty" spot in the distance that I eventually discover is taken by a very small vehicle or motorcycle.
Why? Many parking lots don't have separate parking spaces for motorcycles and scooters -- thus forcing them to take up space in the regular lot.
Why? Many parking lots don't have separate parking spaces for motorcycles and scooters -- thus forcing them to take up space in the regular lot.
10. During rush hour, major roads or highways get completely clogged with cars and traffic -- making it difficult to get to where I need to go in a timely manner.
Why? Many people are leaving work during rush hour, causing the streets to be completely clogged with cars and traffic.
Why? Many people are leaving work during rush hour, causing the streets to be completely clogged with cars and traffic.
11. When I'm sitting in my car seat and I drop something in the space between the car seat and center console. The space is extremely tight --making it difficult to retrieve anything that falls in, especially if it's a small item such as a key or card.
Why? The space between the seat and center console must be tight in order for the interior design to work, and for all of the seats and pieces to fit together.
12. When I see somebody I know passing through campus and I say hello yet don't get a response in return.
Why? They were most likely in a rush or did not see me.
Why? They were most likely in a rush or did not see me.
13. When I'm walking to the bus stop and my bus is projected to arrive in a minute, but then I end up missing it and having to wait an extra ten minutes for the next one.
Why? Buses don't follow each other and make instantaneous stops in order to allow passengers to accumulate at each stop, or else buses would generally be very empty and therefore inefficient.
Why? Buses don't follow each other and make instantaneous stops in order to allow passengers to accumulate at each stop, or else buses would generally be very empty and therefore inefficient.
14. I don't like being at a restaurant or cafe where the server doesn't act open/friendly nor welcoming, making it feel like they aren't interested in serving others.
Why? That may just be the personality of the server or perhaps they were not having a really good day.
Why? That may just be the personality of the server or perhaps they were not having a really good day.
15. The limited amount of open seats at popular study places such as Marston, Library West, etc. during "peak" hours.
Why? Many students prefer to study at these libraries and study spots as they are quiet, clean, and ideal for doing work.
Why? Many students prefer to study at these libraries and study spots as they are quiet, clean, and ideal for doing work.
16. The delayed distribution of financial aid at the beginning of each semester.
Why? Financial aid has to be distributed after drop/add in order to ensure that students won't pay for a class that they will drop after a few days. Furthermore, financial aid cannot be distributed until there is enough funding to do so.
17. The limited amount of places where you can park a car on campus, making it seem as though having a car here is useless.
Why? It would be very difficult to build more parking lots at each building where classes are held -- both in terms of financial feasibility and practicality. Therefore, it is more convenient for students to use other modes of transportation such as riding the bus, biking, etc. to their classes.
Why? It would be very difficult to build more parking lots at each building where classes are held -- both in terms of financial feasibility and practicality. Therefore, it is more convenient for students to use other modes of transportation such as riding the bus, biking, etc. to their classes.
18. The limited amount of places that have open bike racks -- as they are almost always full throughout the day, which means people sometimes have to leave their bike at the hall closest to where their class actually is.
Why? The constant hassle to find open bike spaces is probably due to the large number of students that bike to class as they are often located in far distances.
Why? The constant hassle to find open bike spaces is probably due to the large number of students that bike to class as they are often located in far distances.
19. The limited options for healthy food at Gator Dining -- it seems as though they have greater choices for unhealthy foods such as pizza, soda, etc. instead of healthier options.
Why? Large, cafeteria-like places to eat on campus must cater to what the mass majority of the population likes to eat -- including these popular foods such as pizza, pasta, soda, etc. Furthermore, there are other restaurants that have a greater variety of healthy foods.
20. How sometimes stalls don't seem to lock properly. This happened to me yesterday at a fitting room, in a clothing store where the stall door didn't seem to lock entirely. This also occurs sometimes in public restroom stalls.
Why? This can be due to a faulty design or perhaps a simple maintenance issue that can be fixed by the store.
Reflection:
I found this assignment to be incredibly difficult, as coming up with 20 different "bugs" in everyday life was overall an arduous task for me. I'm not used to seeing the world through this perspective which allows me to see the small "bugs" that people encounter in their day-to-day lives -- although they do exist, they can be hard to acknowledge and pay attention to. This assignment took me a span of several days and I really had to reflect and pay attention to small inconveniences that people encounter. I found it even more difficult to think about why they happen, and why these different causes could be. However, I found that this exercise elucidated the skill that many successful entrepreneurs have, which is identifying different problems that consumers face and coming up with a creative solution that counter these "bugs."
Why? This can be due to a faulty design or perhaps a simple maintenance issue that can be fixed by the store.
Reflection:
I found this assignment to be incredibly difficult, as coming up with 20 different "bugs" in everyday life was overall an arduous task for me. I'm not used to seeing the world through this perspective which allows me to see the small "bugs" that people encounter in their day-to-day lives -- although they do exist, they can be hard to acknowledge and pay attention to. This assignment took me a span of several days and I really had to reflect and pay attention to small inconveniences that people encounter. I found it even more difficult to think about why they happen, and why these different causes could be. However, I found that this exercise elucidated the skill that many successful entrepreneurs have, which is identifying different problems that consumers face and coming up with a creative solution that counter these "bugs."
