The best designs require the least instructions. Well-designed products should be intuitive and natural to use. If your product requires instructions, perhaps there is a flaw in your design. And if your product is as simple as a door, and needs a sign like this, then something has gone fundamentally wrong.

The door in question is in the Garda Carriage Office in

Dublin Castle.

The office deals with lost and found items, and I was there to retrieve a pair of glasses I left in a taxi. The door opens automatically as you approach the office. To leave, you must follow the instructions on the sign.

While the sign itself is good, the door is obviously bad. Why is the button not closer to, or even on, the door? And why the need for such an elaborate door in the first place? If it is to protect the invaluable contents of the Carriage Office (such as my specs), why does it open automatically for incomers? If it is to stop people getting out, why is the lock not controlled by the police behind the counter?

Most probably the Gardai were sold superfluous features by the manufacturer of the door. The features sounded good in theory but in practice resulted in a ridiculous sign like this.

Similarly, the handle on the door to our canteen (see below) is also a needless feature. The door needs to be pushed but the handle invites people to pull. Despite the instructions (“Push”) I frequently do the wrong thing, and this door has become a daily irritant (as discussed in Don Norman’s Design of Everyday Things).

If there is a moral to this story, it is beware of unnecessary features. They can make even the most simple product difficult and cumbersome to use.