by We’ve seen great design in 2022, from elegant logo redesigns to sharp graphic design and innovative new products. But, like every year, 2022 also brought its share of designs that left us amused, confused, frustrated or all three.
From a game controller that the design team should have had a second opinion on, to a logo no one can read and even some terrible product design from Apple, 2022 has seen its share of design crimes. So as we reach the end of the year, let’s take a moment to sit back and take stock of some of the worst design decisions we’ve seen in the past 12 months (for designs that make the grade, see our pick of the best logos of all time) .
The Kia logo
First up is one of the most styled logos of 2022. We raised doubts about the new Kia logo when it was revealed last year. But when cars with the new badge started driving on the street, it turned out to have exactly the effect we feared. Everyone is wondering where this new “KN” car brand comes from.
To be fair, the Kia logo needed a makeover. The almost childish 3D text of the old previous mark was replaced with a sharp sawtooth design. But sleek design shouldn’t be prioritized over readability if you’re aiming for brand recognition. And now there’s data to prove it.
Google searches for ‘KN cars’ have soared since last year, reaching around 30,000 a month, presumably from people who think Kia is called KN and want to know more about the brand. We saw a brilliant response from automotive website The Autopian in the form of an unofficial Kia logo repair part – a metal crossbar that can be placed inside the A in the car’s exterior logo to make it readable.
Sonic Nintendo Switch Controller
Second on our list of the worst design mistakes of 2022 is this Sonic Nintendo Switch controller from Hori. Now, we’ve seen some shocking video game controllers over the years – McDonald’s PS5 DualSense, anyone? – but Hori’s officially licensed Sonic-themed Switch controller is something else.
It’s a busy design to say the least: you’ve got blue and red joysticks, blue buttons, Sonic speeding over from the right, two logos, a bunch of diagonal blue lines. But to top it off, Sonic himself has been put in the worst possible position in relation to the joystick placement, which has created a very unfortunate effect. “Hey Sonic is that an analog stick or are you happy to see us?” one person tweeted in response. It all makes the Gucci Xbox collaboration look positively tasteful.
Apple’s USB-C adapter for the Apple Pencil on the iPad 2022
Now Apple is normally a brand we can trust to make smart design decisions across the board. Everything from the Apple logo history to the company’s lineup of phones, tablets, laptops and more speaks to quality design decisions… usually. Periodically, it surprises us with something completely inelegant and unfriendly.
First there was the not-so-magical Magic Mouse with a charging port underneath, and then with the launch of the new 2022 iPad in October came this eyebrow-raising solution to the lack of Apple Pencil 2 support. The latest iPad still only supports the Apple Pencil 1, but Apple has replaced the Lightning charging port with USB-C. The solution? An ugly dongle-like adapter.
So it’s only $9, and better than having to buy a new Pencil if you already have one, but the solution feels a world away from Apple’s usual clean and minimal wireless approach. We’re not sure what it is about Apple and charging, but it seems like it’s still struggling to get it right. There was also the unreleased Apple Magic Charger, and we’re still waiting for a USB-C iPhone.
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