The Worst Volume Controls

The story begins on a June evening in 2017, on the subreddit r/ProgrammerHumor. Someone proposes a challenge as simple as it is gleeful: imagine the worst possible volume control for a computer. Nothing to win except the joy of making the community laugh. Within a few hours, the joke snowballs: dozens of versions appear, each more twisted than the last, and the press picks it up. The Verge, VICE, and then design outlets like UX Collective take interest; the internet has its little summer serial.

The contributions are genuine short films of the absurd. There’s the catapult that “launches” the volume to the other side of the screen: to turn it down, you have to aim just right. There’s the voice-driven slider: shout to raise it, whisper to lower it (it would have been funny to do the reverse). You also see a globe where 50% hides exactly on the equator, endless mazes, dice that decide for you. Each idea brings a smile, but they all tell the same story: volume is an everyday gesture, and the slightest friction spoils the listening.

What makes these “worst controls” so funny is that they break basic expectations. When a video is blaring, you want to turn it down immediately—no mini-game, no ambiguity, no latency. On the audio side, a good control is anything but heroic: it must be predictable, fast, accurate—especially at low levels—and accessible without thinking (wheel, keys, mute). The Reddit episode reminds us that innovation only makes sense if it serves the ear, not if it puts it to the test.

You might think these chimeras only interest geeks; in reality, they speak to everyone. Because volume is our gateway into sound: too high and you jump; too low and you miss words; capricious and you abandon playback. The best interfaces know how to disappear. The worst steal the show.

Want to dive back into this gallery? You can read the article "The worst volume control UI in the world" on UX Collective or find the original threads on r/ProgrammerHumor. They’re perfect entry points for a good laugh and, without making a big deal of it, sharpening your listener’s eye.

Moral: for volume control, boldness isn’t in the flashy stunt, but in the care given to the listening experience. A small, ordinary rectangle, well thought out, does more for music than a dazzling gadget.

And you—what “worst” volume control have you come across, and how would you reinvent it so it truly serves your ears?