I was attempting to build a Kentucky stick chair, but accidentally bought too stiff of wire so had to pivot to a more rigid design. The end result is a not so comfortable folding chair. It works for me because I am tall and my legs clear the seat and touch the ground without issue. Not the case for my wife.
Here is what it was supposed to look like. Because the wire I used was too stiff I could not get the chair to sinch together so had to add spacers.
This chair is made from a couple cedar deck planks. They were first cut into strips
Strips cut to size for the back, middle,seat
Jig made to quickly make repeat holes for the hardware
Holes done
Assembly begins
Back to the drawing board, spacers added
Applying deck stain
Done
This such a honest post. It looks like you made the best of the situation. If this chair is uncomfortable I imagine the original design may also be uncomfortable since it shares the same angles. When you have guests over you can always insist they try out your craftsmanship.
I figured it's worth sharing mistakes for people to learn from.