Some of the most loved things in the world are ugly and useful. Function earns more loyalty than looks.

Affection for an object usually grows out of reliance rather than admiration. A tool that has never let you down collects years of small gratitude, and that adds up to something stronger than the pleasure of looking at a handsome thing. People keep the battered one and replace the pretty one.

If you are making something to be used, put your attention on the parts that get touched daily. Ask what would make someone trust it in five years, and let that decide more than the first impression does.