I heard a discussion on the radio the other day about cookery lessons at school.
It took me back to my school days when we had weekly cookery classes for a half term, usually running up to Easter.
I consider myself a fairly good cook and my bakes were eagerly consumed by the family to high praise and empty plates…. most of the time.
However, the radio chat reminded me of the time it went all wrong. But, in my defence, it wasn’t my fault!
That week we were making a French Apple Tart. A puff pastry case with a layer of stewed apple, and on top thinly sliced apple in concentric circles.
My offering was beautiful, even if I say so myself.
I put the tart into the school oven and allowed it to cook until it was a rich golden brown – a triumph!
Then disaster struck
The school ovens had an inner glass door. And as I was taking the tart out, the inner door swung back, knocking the tart across the floor.
The oven manufacturer sold this design on the fact you could open the outer door to check on progress without causing a loss in temperature.
But this design had a fatal flaw. The glass doors were quite thick and prone to swing of their own accord.
I think the fact that these types of ovens are no longer sold shows that were a bad design.
Bad designs in products or processes in your business can result in more than a broken French Apple Tart.
They can cost you time, money and reputation and this is especially so when it comes to your marketing and advertising.
Ads that attract complaints from the public can be the start of a very stressful period while you deal with the regulators, distracting you from the business of growing your brand.