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Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

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Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#181

Post by muzani »

ISL wrote: post #107
_jstreet wrote: post #88

I find it interesting that most of the comments are about physical products. The 'best design' is often something that's so frictionless and easy to use that it's invisible in day-to-day use. Everyday infrastructure like steps are something that's noticeable when they're off (e.g. spaced too far apart, or too steep); most are designed well. It's easy to find things that are designed poorly. But much less tangible to…

Agreed. It's real tempting to answer, "indoor plumbing". It's really nice to flip a lever and get clean, safe water. It's real good not to need to stroll to the outhouse, too.

Coming from a developing country, I was very impressed that you could get drinking water straight from the tap in some countries. My wife, a civil engineer, couldn't believe it either. There's just so much complexity involved in it, including storage, which can have rats and rust.

Normally we just filter the stuff between the tap and cup. And as a kid, we had to boil and store it, and just learned to tolerate the metallic/dirt taste at times. This was when soda peaked.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#182

Post by couchand »

The Blichmann BeerGun (v1 -- I'm sure v2 is fine but it's not the same).

It does exactly what it is supposed to. It's better than the "pro" tools, despite being marketed to homebrewers. It always reliably fills bottles, to a consistent fill, with quick and easy pre- and post-purge with CO2.

Moreover, the engineering is beautiful. Every part has a purpose. Everything that could be a stock part is. Each custom part is machined as simply as can be.

Just a joy to use.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#183

Post by ghostly_s »

grech wrote: post #151

This may be a normie response - but Apple Airpods Pro are one of the best products I've used. After years of using several bluetooth headsets that get finicky (with connections that is), having a set that just connects and works every single time is refreshing. They really changed my behavior - I went from not liking phone conversations at all (getting agitated after a few minutes)to comfortably having long phone cal…

And I would rank them near the bottom because they don't fit in my ears without causing significant pain within a few minutes.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#184

Post by [deleted] »

Misdicorl wrote: post #158
raz32dust wrote: post #130

Google flights is fantastic. Don't know if it is "the best-designed thing I've ever used", but it is on top of my mind as I just used it yesterday. Google doesn't get enough credit for the things that they did do well - including Search and Maps. Another is Macbooks - the pre-2015 ones at least. I haven't used the latest M1 ones, which I hear great things about. The Aluminum body, the flawless screen, magsafe, great…

I must disagree with you on maps. Google maps is a fantastic geographic aware search. It is a horrific map. On any given screen there is an 80% chance that the major road I'm interested in is not labeled. Finding the name of a relevant cross street is a nightmare. I feel like it used to be better. Way better. I think the map aspect has been dropped entirely as a real feature now that they supply directions (search) p…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#185

Post by javajosh »

grech wrote: post #151

This may be a normie response - but Apple Airpods Pro are one of the best products I've used. After years of using several bluetooth headsets that get finicky (with connections that is), having a set that just connects and works every single time is refreshing. They really changed my behavior - I went from not liking phone conversations at all (getting agitated after a few minutes)to comfortably having long phone cal…

Interesting. I returned my airpod pros because I kept losing them and/or their case, and had anxiety until I found them. And I knew it was only a matter of time before I didn't find them again. Also, the audio quality on the other end of my calls was actively bad. I've reverted to wired earbuds with a mic in the cable, and am (very) grateful I was stubborn about keeping the 3.5mm headphone jack on whatever phone I'm using. (Perhaps my experience would have been better with an iPhone, but there is no way I'm buying an iPhone, for lots of reasons.)

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#186

Post by wanderingstan »

djmips wrote: post #167
Misdicorl wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I must disagree with you on maps. Google maps is a fantastic geographic aware search. It is a horrific map. On any given screen there is an 80% chance that the major road I'm interested in is not labeled. Finding the name of a relevant cross street is a nightmare. I feel like it used to be better. Way better. I think the map aspect has been dropped entirely as a real feature now that they supply directions (search) p…

I agree with this 100%. And there needs to be something in the design to allow you to zoom the text size. It's comical to witness myself trying to read too small text and reflexively zooming only to have the same sized font.

Agreed. As my eyesight has gotten worse, I rely more and more on being able to do a quick pinch-to-zoom to read small type. Ironically, this pushes me away from native apps and onto the mobile browser!

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#187

Post by muzani »

wh313 wrote: post #61

My Aeropress coffee maker. It feels more convenient than a french press, and much cheaper than an espresso machine. https://aeropress.com/ Also a bidet. Americans really need to start using it more.

Bidets are something I take for granted. It was only during the covid toilet paper shortage that I became really grateful we had them.

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#188

Post by version_five »

Shopify pay (I think that's the name) that texts a code to complete the checkout at web stores I think is a great friction reducer.

Modern tents that just have a couple of elastic cord connected structural members the tent hangs off that go up in seconds. Anyone who put up a tent 25 years ago must see how much innovation there has been.

Almost everything about cars - if you think of the conditions and amount of use they have to survive (and despite massive annoying failures). I had a Mazda 3 with rain sensing wipers that I loved, I've driven lots of more expensive cars without them and I don't understand why they're not ubiquitous

Re: Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?

#189

Post by hedgehog »

grech wrote: post #151

This may be a normie response - but Apple Airpods Pro are one of the best products I've used. After years of using several bluetooth headsets that get finicky (with connections that is), having a set that just connects and works every single time is refreshing. They really changed my behavior - I went from not liking phone conversations at all (getting agitated after a few minutes)to comfortably having long phone cal…

If they are the original version consider getting them tested at the store to see if they are covered by the recall. Free replacement with the new model (apparently with improved adhesives).
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