When design gets in the way

This morning, something odd happened at the gas station checkout — all because of a straw.

I’d just grabbed an Up & Go protein drink, and the woman behind the till did something unexpected. She pulled out an empty container from behind the counter, scanned that one, and then handed me the full one I’d actually picked up.

I must have looked confused because she explained: “They put the straw right over the barcode, so we can’t scan it. We have to keep an empty one back here just to ring it up.”

It was a small thing, but it reminded me how design can look good and still not work in the real world.

Somewhere along the way, a designer didn’t think through how this product would be used day to day. Maybe they didn’t know the straw would end up glued over the barcode. Maybe they did and thought it wouldn’t matter. Either way, it’s created a workaround that slows things down.

It made me think: how often do our websites do the same?

Lately, I keep running into digital “straws over barcodes”:

• Cookie banners that take over the screen
• Log-in paywalls before I’ve even read a sentence
• Persistent pop-ups, even after I’ve closed them twice

These things are meant to help. But too often, they get in the way, frustrate people, and make a simple task harder than it needs to be. How they’re implemented matters.

So here’s something to try this week: Next time you’re browsing online, notice what gets in your way. Then ask yourself — is your own website accidentally doing the same?

Good design doesn’t just look good. It clears the way.

PS: Thoughtful design matters in email too. If your pop-ups, welcome offers, or newsletters aren’t helping people connect — or worse, they’re pushing them away — we can help. Check out our email marketing plans →