Designer creates brilliantly useless product designs

Let's start by prefacing how the type of vessel can make or break your enjoyment of a hot beverage. A mug with the perfect diameter to cosily nestle in both hands? Divine. One of those cheap cappuccino cups you get at cafes where you can't stick a single finger through the handle? Aggravating.  It's easy to overlook how complex the design of everyday objects is, and how proportions and physical features really affect how nice certain objects are to use. Which is why 'The Uncomfortable' is a brilliant design project. Athens-based architect Katerina Kamprani is behind the project, which is described as "a collection of deliberately inconvenient everyday objects". She purposefully made a bunch of household objects in a way that annoys and upsets you. And it works – looking at her designs actually makes you feel kind of queasy. Kamprani started by creating 3D visualisations of her designs, but eventually decided to fork out her savings to actually produce some real-life prototypes. Here are some of our favourites.

This impossible fork:

This champagne glass to test the romance

This not-so-elegant tea set:

This confused watering can:

These "Engagement Mugs":

This cutlery set is making me feel really uneasy:

This wine glass guaranteed to make a mess:

This confused pot:

A collection of chairs perfect for the Mad Hatter's tea party:

     

This infuriating key:

This mug with a very inconvenient handle:

These useless rain boots:

And this similarly useless umbrella:

These salt and pepper shakers that look good, but don't do good:

This terrible hooded spoon:

And the worst front door you can imagine when you're busting for the loo:

Kamprani designed the collection after deciding to turn failure into something positive: "This project started after I failed to finish my studies in industrial design around 2011 and it has continued to grow ever since," she states on her website. The project has certainly grabbed the attention of people around the world, so good luck to whatever she endeavours to achieve next. And please, NO-ONE get me the mugs for Christmas.