this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2025
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AssholeDesign

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This is a community for designs specifically crafted to make the experience worse for the user. This can be due to greed, apathy, laziness or just downright scumbaggery.

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Joke's on them, I ate them all and now my tummy hurts

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[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 82 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Why is there even a plastic tray in the bag to begin with? That’s the really infuriating part. Stop with all the unnecessary plastic!

[–] treasure@feddit.org 63 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Probably it was only added so they could pull this "sike, air in the middle" stunt

[–] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 35 points 2 weeks ago

I'm also not convinced that the expense of producing the trays and stuffing the bags in this manner is actually cheaper than the cost of just filling it the rest of the way with product and leaving it at that.

Some C-Suite asshole thinks he's getting it over on everybody with this and isn't smart enough to realize that this is a Dick Dastardly Stops To Cheat situation.

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)
[–] treasure@feddit.org 27 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

oh, yeah, that too

😐

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Wait... You didn't mean a small stream or ditch? 🤷‍♂️

[–] usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago

First of all, ~~pysch~~ psych

I'm about as pedantic as they come, and will argue that it's a separate word now and should be spelled "sike".

Wanna build someone's confidence/excitement? Psych them up, sure.

But for the specific usage that's a bait-and-switch? Sike fits better imho.

[–] tehmics@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I wish some of you pedants stayed on Reddit, man

[–] Zachariah@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

~~pedants~~

pendants

[–] whyNotSquirrel@sh.itjust.works 41 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

the -30% isn't about the price

[–] frog@feddit.uk 5 points 2 weeks ago

30% less calories, same price!

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Don't buy it again. the only language corporate parasite understand is denied profit.

[–] knatschus@discuss.tchncs.de 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Make a complaint to the store, the brand and the Verbraucherschutz.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

if you still got energy for this sure but in my experience the exercise is futile. they know what they are doing, they are not stupid. they also know that idiots will keep buying.

if you complain you are not their target audience, they sell to idiots.

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That is the MO of conartists and scammers too.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 1 points 2 weeks ago
[–] Rooty@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I really don't get the point of these stunts. All they do is erode consumer trust and give negative reputation to brands as stingy assholes. I got ripped off a couple of times in that way and guess what? Now I don't buy their products. They have lost me as a customer and I hope it was worth saving a fraction of a cent per packaging.

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's consultants. Consultants that advise both the investors and the corporations.

It's why they cut office snacks. It's why we have return to office. It's why they keep doing waves of layoffs. It's why everything must be a subscription.

The consultants tell the investors shrinkflation is so hot right now. They tell the companies to do shrinkflation. If they don't, the board gets upset you're not listening to the expensive consultants. If you do, the stock price jumps, even though you just lost customers, and you get to blame the consultants if it doesn't work

It's a very stupid system, McKinsey is probably the worst offender if you want to do some further reading

[–] chilicheeselies@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The business of deferred responsibility (coroporate sin eaters) is a big one.

[–] BorgDrone@feddit.nl 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Not just deferred but diluted. No single person in the company is responsible for the orphan crushing machine, it’s just the consequence of hundreds of small, logical decisions made at by dozens of people at all layers in the hierarchy.

[–] theneverfox@pawb.social 3 points 2 weeks ago

While this is absolutely also true, I'm talking about the people who openly advocate for orphan crushing for the sake of orphan crushing

[–] hark@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

These days companies don't care because a small handful of conglomerates own everything and don't have much in the way of actual competitors to lose business to.

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago
[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Thats why you look at the weight.

[–] tehmics@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Which tells me exactly as much about the contents as picking it up would: almost nothing.

There's always one of you in the unnecessary pack fill discussions and I have to ask, do you really know the difference between 12oz of candy, and 10oz? And can you point out the weight on this packaging for me?

[–] knatschus@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 2 weeks ago

The weight is on the back. The price sign on the shelf includes €/kg.

I don't really know how much 2oz is. But since the laws are loosen to allow weird weights I look for €/kg anyway.

[–] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You don't go on just weight alone, that doesn't tell you much of anything. You need weight and price.

For me personally, it's a hell of a lot easier to see how far your money is actually going when you keep track of the price per oz vs just watching the total price since they change price and size pretty regularly.

[–] Gork@sopuli.xyz -1 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

They'll just make the tray heavier 🤔

[–] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

They can, but it wouldn't matter. The weight on the packaging is the weight of the product in the package, not the package itself.

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That would be fraud. There are legal requirements for this.

[–] tehmics@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

C'mon man, you're almost there. Make one more connection

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz -1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The type of packaging is not regulated by shape or size. I am not making the claim packaging shouldn't be regulated, just that comparing weight and price ratios will help you not be tricked by this.

[–] tehmics@lemmy.world -2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

will help you not be tricked

Oh, so that's the problem. You don't understand the point of the conversation

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I guess I have, I thought this post was criticizing the deceptive packaging.

[–] tehmics@lemmy.world -2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, and criticizing is not the same as 'getting tricked by'

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago

Then how did they open the package?

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago

Is packaging material actually cheaper by weight than candy?

[–] Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz -1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Then why would seeing the product mean anything? The whole point of seeing the weight is to compare it the price to see if you are being manipulated. Going on vibes is not going to protect you from that.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] INHALE_VEGETABLES@aussie.zone 4 points 2 weeks ago

Especially when you are missing an inch somewhere in the middle... if you know what I mean.

[–] axEl7fB5@lemmy.cafe 2 points 2 weeks ago

Can you fit a loaf of bread on it?