WORST
1. Target's up&up re-branding
I find generic packaging to be quite appealing in an '80's recession kind of way and while I thought Target's eponymous brand line-up could have used a graphic/color refreshing, I find their new up&up packaging disappointing. It's all spare typography, whiteness, and snarky sayings ("hygiene handshake", "fantastic plastic", "comfy tushy"). I should probably love it as it's obviously geared toward my designer demo but that's probably the reason I find myself cringing every time I read another one of the taglines. Also, I don't know if it's the more design-y packaging that has me thinking this but the up&up stuff seems more expensive than the old Target Bullseye products. That might just be one of those brand-value-perception things but I swear the t.p. got spendier.
2. American Automakers
Doesn't really require any explanation, now does it?
3. Booda Scoop and Hide Litter Scoop
Rarely do I harbor this much hostility toward a seemingly innocent product category but something has to be said about this awful piece of plastic. First, it comes with a sticker on the front that leaves an adhesive residue when you try to take it off to achieve the "sleek" look you paid $17 for. Second, it's $17. Third, the plastic it's made of bends when you're doing your litter box duty. Forth, when you take the scoop out the little door that hides the scoop when not in use slams shut, which means you have to stick your finger into the opening to open the door to get the scoop back in - gross! Fifth, it's $17. I don't know why we still have this thing around. Probably because we paid $17 for it.
4. Trash trucks...
and really the whole garbage system in the U.S. I live in a 200+ unit highrise with trash chutes on each floor. Potentially each of our 200+ units are putting out a bag of garbage per day, hermetically sealed for eternity in plastic bags. Then a super loud, diesel-belching truck comes 5 times a week to empty our dumpsters (I know how loud and dirty the truck is firsthand, being that we live above the loading dock and have the distinct pleasure of watching and listening to the trash and recycling being emptied almost every day of the week). It just seems so...wasteful. I would love to do a design studio on how to reinvent the entre system of garbage collection in apartment buildings, from individuals to the landfill. It seems like there is huge waste-reducing potential there.
BEST
Is going to have to wait for another night. Gotta get some zzz's in before the first baby wake-up.
