Both software and physical products can drive us crazy because they're poorly implemented or released prematurely while still loaded with defects. But in addition, many products are badly designed from the outset, like the Fitbit Charge 5 mentioned here. Too often, the design focus is on a product's features and not on how people will actually use it.

Too many products appear to be designed by someone who apparently has never used a product of that kind before. Having observed this problem for many years, in early 2021 I published a book titled "The Thoughtless Design of Everyday Things," about products that violate nine fundamental design principles and the design lessons we can learn from them.

Fortunately, I also encounter some products that are thoughtfully designed with the user in mind and are a delight to use. Not enough of them, though. That should be the norm, not a pleasantly surprising exception.