This phrase:

Form follows function

…is so oft-repeated by designers that it’s practically become a mantra.

This simple expression reminds them that their job is to make something that works, then make it attractive. It helps them avoid creating fatally flawed products by directing them first to the object’s raison d’etre, then to the finer points of its appearance — no wonder it’s repeated so often.

In your own life, a similar principle will help you make good choices in most areas of your life, and avoid mistakes that could make you look very foolish.

The principle you can use in your own life is:

Substance before style

If you put substance before style, the same way that designers address function before form, you make better decisions any time that both appearances and practicalities factor into a decision.

Many decisions are about style as well as substance, e.g.:

• Which shoes to buy: sexy stilettos or practical flats?
• Which home decor: chintzy or simply durable?
• Which financial choice: a shiny new car or a managed fund?
• Which job to take: the fancy title or the one you really love?

In all of these scenarios, the practical option may seem like the obvious choice… but it only works that way in theory. In practice, we often choose pretty over practical because beauty has a deep, primal appeal that cold rationality cannot defeat.

Sometimes, you get lucky and a choice made for emotional reasons turns out to work well too: the stilettos are remarkably comfortable; the chintz is more practical than you imagined; you get a great deal on the car and have some money left over to invest; or the fancy-title job is a lot of fun too. But not always.

When you fall in love with a beautiful item — be it clothing, shoes, furniture or anything else — have a think about the practical side as well as how lovely it is. Anything gorgeous that does its job well is a great buy, so long as you can afford it.

But no matter how fabulous something looks, if it doesn’t do its job, think twice before you buy it… or you might end up with an expensive dud.

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