User-Unfriendly Objects

Vindictive, sadistic, frustrating, twisted. Those are a few words people have used to describe Greek artist Katerina Kamprani’s work. At a time when so many people are singing the praises of well-designed objects, Kamprani went in the opposite direction. For her series The Uncomfortable, she designed objects whose very function is to frustrate users. A watering can’s spout turns backwards, a mug has a drainage strainer on top, a rain boot has an open toe, and a chair is slanted in a way that makes sitting impossible. She also made a wide variety of forks: one with detachable prongs, another that collapses like nunchucks.

It’s hard not to have a visceral reaction to these things. We’ve all struggled with a new product and wondered whether the designer was actually playing a cruel joke. This is a rare instance that makes you angry and makes you laugh at the same time.