Always Pushing Doors When You Should Be Pulling? Why It's Not Your Fault

We've probably all made this mistake: trying to push a door open when the sign clearly says pull (or vice versa). While this mixup can lead to ridicule or embarrassment, it's not really your fault. It's just faulty design, according to the findings of Vox journalist Joe Posner.

Posner really hates a certain door in his office building because it looks like it should be pulled open, when it actually needs to be pushed. It's so misleading that it led him to investigate what's going on with bad doors. With some help from architecture-focused radio show 99% Invisible, he found out more about this counterintuitive design (also known as Norman Doors). It turns out, the doors are wrong—not you. Learn more about Posner's findings in the video above.

Header image courtesy of Vox/YouTube