A Tap?

I don’t like to criticise the designs of other people.  Anyone who designs something starts with nothing and ends up with something and that needs to be encouraged.  But I came across this tap at Heathrow Airport last week and really?  Are you joking?

A fundamental principle of product design is that use of an object is made clear by its form.

You can see from the instruction stickers on this tap that intuitive use failed from the start and an attempt was made to correct it but the instructions are in English so they are not going to work for everyone at an airport.

Then someone came up with the bright idea of fitting screens showing video instructions.  How much did that cost?  How long will a screen survive in that environment (would you store your laptop in the bathroom)?  Does anyone want to watch a video before washing their hands? (I didn't, of course, and ended up with warm air blowing on my soapy hands before I'd worked out how to get any water).

It’s often the case in software development too that a problem is dealt with by building another layer of code on top when a better solution is to go back to the original requirement and simplify everything.

How about if water came out on one side through a nozzle that looks like a shower head and air came out on other side through a nozzle that looks like a hair drier?  Simple and intuitive with no need for instructions.  But the manufacturer is probably so far down the line of production, sales and distribution now that redesign isn’t an option.  Instead, visitors arriving in the UK are treated to this as their first impression of UK design and ingenuity.