I recently spoke with someone about design. We discussed the fine line between functional and high fashion design. The person I spoke with seemed to feel that stylish design either falls short of offering appropriate functionality to consumers or it’s designed out of the realm of cost effective, standard manufacturing. I had to agree.

It’s unfortunate that we see these high concept projects made and then not see them on store shelves anywhere. Why? Because the consumers can’t afford it. Because the project doesn’t communicate its function. Because the project is aesthetic in nature and is not considered useful to the consumer who simply can’t afford to budget for pretty things.

In some cases the fashion will confuse consumers as to the purpose of the product. That’s something we’ve fought with as designers and something you’ll fight with as an inventor.

In InventionLand our design team’s main purpose is to isolate the problem a product is supposed to solve and work up from there. Once we see the function it serves we can design a better product and worry about high fashion on the tail end. That’s more of the fun and games aspect of the project.

Here are a few things to think about when trying to make a project more stylish or sexy:

Does it confuse the consumer?

Does it compete with current product style trends?

Will its purpose be compromised for the sake of a “cooler” look?

Who is the target audience?

Does the design leave the product with a high price tag?

Can it be made efficiently with standard manufacturing capabilities?

Answer these basic questions and you’ll be on your way. But don’t limit yourself. Be creative.