Whether it’s a suitcase, a lamp, or a pair of flip flops, the best designers can seamlessly blend form and function to make their products truly unique.

These folks balance creative, conceptual, freeform thinking with the practical, industrial constraints of actually getting things made, and when they succeed, people notice it as much as when they fail. Especially the members of this particular subreddit.

Sharing pictures of the best concepts they can find, this online community has shown time and time again that while money can’t buy you happiness, it can get you a lot of cool stuff.

#1 This Business Card

Image credits: reddit.com

#2 Simple And Well Executed

Image credits: BullionGodspeed

We regular users who get to experience a product only after it’s finished often don’t even realize how much effort people put into producing it.

Preparing an older design piece, we contacted Nicole Phillips, a creative working in the industry since 2005 with a background in fine arts and advertising. Phillips specializes in logo design, branding, and package design for food & beverage, beauty, health, and interior design clients, and she said that design is a process that requires research, experimentation, and even a bit of psychology.

“When I feel frustrated with the process, I remind myself to take a step back, have fun, and play,” Phillips told Bored Panda back then. “It’s those moments of play and experimentation that usually create the best results, but it’s those hours of research that help build the foundation for the final result.”

“My clients are not paying me for my time, they are paying me for my many years of experience, so if I am able to complete the design process in 5 hours rather than 5 weeks, this is a sign of my years of experience and knowledge, this is valuable,” she added.

#3 This Plug That Doesn’t Bother Other Plugs

Image credits: Lessedrone

#4 Soy Sauce Dishes That “Reveal” A Painting Once You Fill Them Up

Image credits: carrotbaton

#5 Cracked Log Lamp

Image credits: elee0228

When people are trying to figure out if a particular design is any good, they often turn to Dieter Rams and his ’10 commandments.’ According to Rams, good design is innovative, makes a product useful, is aesthetic, makes a product understandable, is unobtrusive, is honest, is long-lasting, is thorough down to the last detail, is environmentally friendly, and involves as little design as possible.

Nicole Phillips agrees with the German design legend.

“Good design includes a good balance of function, form, and fun,” Phillips said. “The user shouldn’t have to try too hard to get what they need from the design. Good design isn’t just aesthetics, it should communicate well and push boundaries a bit. Good design solves problems.”