I'm the author of "How We Make Stuff Now" and the Co-founder and CEO of The Grommet. We launch innovative products from small businesses.

Product Design Fail: Cuisinart

So I’m making coffee in a hotel room and the little brewing machine has clear instructions printed right on top. I sail along until I get to the instruction to “press ON button.”

There is no “ON” button. There is a low, hidden “POWER” button on the side of the machine, tucked up against the coffee products where no one can see it. Pressing the POWER button does indeed turn the machine ON.

That’s a big design fail. The most important button on this brewer should be easy to see and access, especially for an appliance that is going to be used by travellers unfamiliar with the appliance. Maybe Cuisinart wanted to avoid accidental deployment of the button by hiding it, but I usually find this company’s designs much more intuitive.

Sigh. The industrial designer’s work is never done.

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6 Responses to “Product Design Fail: Cuisinart”

It’s an even bigger fail when you miss the graphic on top for single cup placement and put one cup on the right side, … only to have your brewed coffee empty out onto the counter through the left side!

Wayne, it sounds like you speak from (unfortunate) personal experience. Making coffee–before I’ve had my coffee–is a challenge for me even with my familiar home brewer. I probably should not admit that …