Failure by design

Have you ever been frustrated with people who walk/cycle/drive where they shouldn’t? Or people that talk in the silent carrage of a train? Or trash that’s placed next to a container instead of in it? Ah man, I could go on and on. I get easily frustrated about these kind of things. Especially when I’m hungry or experience a lack of sleep.

But I’ve found a way to reframe it!

Something that works for me at least.

Although not always…

I think it all has to do with failure by design.

If there weren’t a silent carrage we wouldn’t be frustrated with people talking.

If it would be easier to put your garbage bag in the container instead of next to it people would do that.

And if we hadn’t designed roads and streets on a computer but at the very spot, thinking about how people might move, we wouldn’t be taking shortcuts.

Whenever I look at something with a failure by design mindset I start to understand people.

And even agree with them every now and then.

I wonder: who designed this and why?

That’s fascinating. Not frustrating.