Soap Quiz

I have a quiz for you today. Look at the picture above and answer the following question:

Where do you think the soap is going to come out from? A, B or C ?

The answer is B!

Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to guess correctly. I went for C and as a result a blob of soap went for the sleeve of my shirt!!! But apparently I was not the only one making the wrong guess. Judging by the huge lump of wasted soap by the washing basin (see picture) a lot of people must have gone for answer A (or C, but in my experience in that case the blue soap ends up on your crisp clean white shirt instead of on the table).

So, here is another question for you. Is the above a result of:

A. Stupid people like myself who can't seem to make the right guess.

or

B. Bad and ambiguous design.

I go for B. This soap dispenser is absolutely unclear in its communication with people.

On most dispensers of this kind the soap comes out :

A. From the bottom. (makes sence if you think of the way soap is stored in it)

AND/OR

B. Near the handle/lever that dispenses the soap (also makes sense, you can then operate the dispenser with one hand).

So the designers of this piece obviously went against all these conventions (OK, no harm done - I I am fond of trying new stuff too) but they forgot to indicate WHERE THE SOAP COMES OUT FROM. And I am not talking about stickers... Just a giving the corresponding piece the typical dispenser shape (i.e. little tube facing downwards) would have done the trick.

But well, what is usability worth if it comes to making a dispenser look sleek? (if at all!)