Look, I'm all for crazy conceptual products that are relatively high-minded, but I feel like designers need to make sure their products stay functional above all else. If their idea trumps the actual functionality of it, no one will want it. I don't care how clever it is, if it's annoying to use it's poorly designed.

Take this "Lean and clean Balancing Machine" bookshelf, for example. You need to keep it balanced using two weights hanging on either side, otherwise the whole shelf will tilt to one side or the other. That means every time you pick up a book off the shelf or replace a book the whole thing will slide around. Yes, I get the idea about keeping your life balanced, but do you really want to deal with everything on your shelf shifting whenever you take something off it? I didn't think so.

Via YankoDesign