It would surprise you just how much design thinking goes into the everyday things around us. Take an ATM keypad, for instance. Why is there a bump on the number 5? Why does your keyboard start with QWERTY instead of ABCDEF? And what, exactly, is that tiny pocket inside your jeans supposed to do?
We use these things almost every day, yet most of us have never really stopped to ask why they look or work the way they do. Some were designed to solve very specific problems. Others are simply ideas from another time that have managed to stick around.
Once you start looking, there are plenty of them. Here are seven everyday things with surprisingly practical stories behind them.
1. Why Are Nigerian Kerbs Painted Black and White?
If you’ve spent any time on Nigerian roads, you’ve probably noticed the familiar black-and-white kerbs. But why those colours?
The contrast makes kerbs, medians and road edges easier to see, particularly from a distance and in low-light conditions. It also makes road boundaries more noticeable to both drivers and pedestrians.
There is also the matter of familiarity. After years of seeing black-and-white kerbs across Nigerian roads, the pattern has become part of what we recognise as a typical Nigerian road.
So, the next time you see a freshly painted kerb, it may be doing more than making the road look neat.
2. Why Does the Number 5 on Your ATM Keypad Have a Bump?
Here’s something you may have never paid attention to.
Run your finger across an ATM keypad and you’ll probably feel a small raised mark on the number 5.
That bump is there to help you find your way around the keypad without looking at it. Because 5 sits in the middle, locating it by touch gives you a reference point for the rest of the numbers. This is particularly useful for people who are blind or have low vision, but it can also come in handy when you’re entering a PIN without looking directly at the keypad.
You’ve probably used that little bump hundreds of times without ever wondering why it was there.
Now you know.
3. Why Do Pencils Have Six Sides?
Why aren’t most pencils round? The answer has less to do with appearance and more to do with practicality.
The flat sides make a pencil easier to grip and, importantly, stop it from rolling away whenever you put it down. A hexagonal shape also gives you several comfortable positions to hold the pencil while making the pencil relatively efficient to manufacture.
A round pencil would still work, of course. But if you’ve ever watched a pencil slowly roll towards the edge of your desk, you can appreciate why six sides are useful.
4. Why Does Your Keyboard Start With QWERTY?
Look at the top row of your keyboard: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. That’s where the name QWERTY comes from.
But why those letters? Why not arrange the keyboard alphabetically and make everyone’s life easier?
The answer takes us back to the early days of mechanical typewriters.
Unlike today’s keyboards, typewriters had physical mechanisms that could jam when certain combinations of letters were typed too quickly. The QWERTY layout emerged during this period, influenced by the mechanical limitations of those early machines.
Then technology moved on. Typewriters gave way to computers, laptops and smartphones, but QWERTY stayed.
So every time you type an email, search Google or send a message, you’re using a keyboard layout that traces its origins to a very different kind of machine.
5. Why Do the F and J Keys Have Tiny Bumps?
Once you know about the bump on the number 5, you might start noticing the other bumps on your keyboard.
Look at the F and J keys. They usually have a small raised line or bump.
These marks help you position your hands when touch typing. Your left index finger rests on F, while your right index finger rests on J. Once you can find those keys by touch, you know where your hands are on the keyboard without having to look down.
It’s one of those features that makes perfect sense once you know what it is for.
And if you’re a fast typist, you’ve probably been relying on it without even realising it.
6. What Is That Tiny Pocket on Your Jeans For?
You’ve seen it countless times. That tiny pocket sitting inside the larger front pocket of your jeans.
But what was it actually designed to hold? You may be thinking, don’t guess further. It’s a pocket watch.
When pocket watches were commonly carried, jeans included a small compartment to keep one secure. Pocket watches eventually became less common, but the pocket remained.
And now, it has become the unofficial home for coins, keys, earphones and anything else small enough to squeeze inside.
So, no, that pocket wasn’t created specifically for your AirPods. Your jeans simply haven’t caught up with the times.
7. Why Do Pen Caps Have Tiny Holes?
Here’s another detail hiding in plain sight.
Some pen caps have a small hole at the top. It might look like part of the manufacturing process, but there is a safety reason behind it.
If a pen cap is accidentally swallowed, the opening allows air to pass through. This can help reduce the risk of the airway becoming completely blocked while medical assistance is sought.
The feature is particularly important because young children sometimes put small objects, including pen caps, in their mouths.
It’s a tiny hole that most people would never think twice about, but it serves a very important purpose.
