More Words, Deeper Hole

I agree with the assessment that most designers don't know anything about ergonomics. The truth is most designers are more concerned with how devices look, rather than how they perform. My old CAD/CAM teacher had a story about a design class she was in where a student proudly showed off the rolling luggage he had won an award for. When she pointed out that the design was so wide it wouldn't go through airports easily, he actually got highly offended- the notion that practicality was an issue was anethema to that group of students.

And then of course there was the time my sister designed a buckydome style house that she actually got to show to Buckminster Fuller. As we all oohed and ahhed over the highly modernistic plans, my mom eyed the blueprints and asked "So, where's the kitchen sink?" My sister was embarrassed to admit she had forgotten it, because who actually cooks in this day and age?

Practicality is a secondary consideration for most designers- if they had our way we'd be living in houses without sinks.