Design Quotes | Beyond Motive 4/5

top of page

Design Quotes

"The design of Rhetoric is to remove those Prejudices that lie in the way of Truth, to Reduce the Passions to the Government of Reasons; to place our Subject in a Right Light, and excite our Hearers to a due consideration of it."

"The design of Rhetoric is to remove those Prejudices that lie in the way of Truth, to Reduce the Passions to the Government of Reasons; to place our Subject in a Right Light, and excite our Hearers to a due consideration of it."

Mary Astell, English Writer

Design, Government, Truth, Lie

31

"It's about the power of design and the power of the human spirit. It's above paying anybody to do something stupid for money like reality television does - like ambushing people."

"It's about the power of design and the power of the human spirit. It's above paying anybody to do something stupid for money like reality television does - like ambushing people."

Genevieve Gorder, American Designer

Design, Money, Power, People

31

"Longhorns are unique - each and every one of them is a different color with a different design."

"Longhorns are unique - each and every one of them is a different color with a different design."

Janine Turner, American Actress

31

"We have no general conceptual thrust for the band, other than trying to make music that keeps our interest. When things are novel, they are probably things we have discovered by accident or investigation rather than by design."

"We have no general conceptual thrust for the band, other than trying to make music that keeps our interest. When things are novel, they are probably things we have discovered by accident or investigation rather than by design."

Steve Albini, American Musician

Design, Music, Accident, Interest

31

"I design my shots. I walk the rehearsal as the camera and say 'this is where I want to be... I want this look."

"I design my shots. I walk the rehearsal as the camera and say 'this is where I want to be... I want this look."

Debbie Allen, American Actress

31

"Intelligent design itself does not have any content."

"Intelligent design itself does not have any content."

George Gilder, American Writer

Design, Content

31

"So that ideas of sort of relaxed symmetry have been something for years that I have been concerned with because I think that symmetry is a neutral shape as opposed to a form of design."

"So that ideas of sort of relaxed symmetry have been something for years that I have been concerned with because I think that symmetry is a neutral shape as opposed to a form of design."

Robert Rauschenberg, American Artist

Design, Ideas, Years

30

"Books are but waste paper unless we spend in action the wisdom we get from thought - asleep. When we are weary of the living, we may repair to the dead, who have nothing of peevishness, pride, or design in their conversation."

"Books are but waste paper unless we spend in action the wisdom we get from thought - asleep. When we are weary of the living, we may repair to the dead, who have nothing of peevishness, pride, or design in their conversation."

William Butler Yeats, Irish Poet

Design, Wisdom, Thought, Action

30

"It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and rye devoted much of my career to this."

"It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and rye devoted much of my career to this."

Michael Graves, American Architect

Design, Goal, Career

30

"They say that the best furniture and clothing design from the '50s and '60s is Scandinavian or Milanese."

"They say that the best furniture and clothing design from the '50s and '60s is Scandinavian or Milanese."

Christian Lacroix, French Designer

30

"By means of tracing-paper I transfer my design to the wood and draw on that."

"By means of tracing-paper I transfer my design to the wood and draw on that."

John Tenniel, English Artist

30

"I've been amazed at how often those outside the discipline of design assume that what designers do is decoration. Good design is problem solving."

"I've been amazed at how often those outside the discipline of design assume that what designers do is decoration. Good design is problem solving."

Jeffery Veen, American Entrepreneur

Design, Discipline

30

"I tried a dozen different modifications that were rejected. But they all served as a path to the final design."

"I tried a dozen different modifications that were rejected. But they all served as a path to the final design."

Mikhail Kalashnikov, Russian Inventor

30

"There were IBM logos designed for the film, and there were IBM design consultants working with Kubrick on the layout of the controls and computer screens."

"There were IBM logos designed for the film, and there were IBM design consultants working with Kubrick on the layout of the controls and computer screens."

Douglas Trumbull, American Director

Design, Computer, Film

29

"That was always my frustration with so many of these shows, because design is not an ambush... it's a relationship. You have to know how people move and live and work to be able to design for them."

"That was always my frustration with so many of these shows, because design is not an ambush... it's a relationship. You have to know how people move and live and work to be able to design for them."

Genevieve Gorder, American Designer

Design, Work, People, Frustration

29

"IBM was the original contractor for much of the computer interface design on the film."

"IBM was the original contractor for much of the computer interface design on the film."

Douglas Trumbull, American Director

Design, Computer, Film

29

"Everyone by now presumably knows about the danger of premature optimization. I think we should be just as worried about premature design - designing too early what a program should do."

"Everyone by now presumably knows about the danger of premature optimization. I think we should be just as worried about premature design - designing too early what a program should do."

Paul Graham, American Scientist

Design, Danger, Now

29

"The interesting thing is when we design and architect a server, we don't design it for Windows or Linux, we design it for both. We don't really care, as long as we're selling the one the customer wants."

"The interesting thing is when we design and architect a server, we don't design it for Windows or Linux, we design it for both. We don't really care, as long as we're selling the one the customer wants."

Michael Dell, American Businessman

Design, Selling, Care, Customer

29

"When nearly a third of our high school students do not graduate on time with their peers, we have work to do. We must design our middle and high schools so that no student gets lost in the crowd and disconnected from his or her own potential."

"When nearly a third of our high school students do not graduate on time with their peers, we have work to do. We must design our middle and high schools so that no student gets lost in the crowd and disconnected from his or her own potential."

Christine Gregoire, American Politician

Design, Time, Work, Potential

29

"After all, C++ isn't a perfect match for Java's design aims either."

"After all, C++ isn't a perfect match for Java's design aims either."

Bjarne Stroustrup, Danish Scientist

29

"The architect, Peter Arens who is the monstrous carbuncle architect, not merely did his design which had won a public competition never get built but his practice suffered financially for some years."

"The architect, Peter Arens who is the monstrous carbuncle architect, not merely did his design which had won a public competition never get built but his practice suffered financially for some years."

Anthony Holden, British Journalist

Design, Competition, Practice, Public

29

"I do believe that there are some universal cognitive tasks that are deep and profound - indeed, so deep and profound that it is worthwhile to understand them in order to design our displays in accord with those tasks."

"I do believe that there are some universal cognitive tasks that are deep and profound - indeed, so deep and profound that it is worthwhile to understand them in order to design our displays in accord with those tasks."

Edward Tufte, American Educator

Design, Deep, Order

29

"The federal debt in this country is principally of Republican design."

"The federal debt in this country is principally of Republican design."

Daniel Keys Moran, American Writer

Design, Country, Debt, Republican

29

"The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

"The computer can't tell you the emotional story. It can give you the exact mathematical design, but what's missing is the eyebrows."

Frank Zappa, American Musician

Design, Computer

29

"No architect troubled to design houses that suited people who were to live in them, because that would have meant building a whole range of different houses. It was far cheaper and, above all, timesaving to make them identical."

"No architect troubled to design houses that suited people who were to live in them, because that would have meant building a whole range of different houses. It was far cheaper and, above all, timesaving to make them identical."

Michael Ende, German Writer

Design, People, Building, Houses

28

"Design, in its broadest sense, is the enabler of the digital era - it's a process that creates order out of chaos, that renders technology usable to business. Design means being good, not just looking good."

"Design, in its broadest sense, is the enabler of the digital era - it's a process that creates order out of chaos, that renders technology usable to business. Design means being good, not just looking good."

Clement Mok, American Businessman

Design, Technology, Business, Being

28

"If there is a gay uniform, the differences are in how each man coordinates the details: the brand and cut of the jeans, the design of belts and boots, the haircut, the number and size of earrings."

Lance Loud, American Actor

Design, Gay, Man

28

"God is His own Design and End, and that there is no other Worthy of Him."

"God is His own Design and End, and that there is no other Worthy of Him."

Mary Astell, English Writer

Design, God, End

28

"We must carefully consider card security solutions, such as adding photographs or machine-readable electronic strips, so to prevent further breaches of individual privacy that could result from changes to the design of Social Security Cards."

"We must carefully consider card security solutions, such as adding photographs or machine-readable electronic strips, so to prevent further breaches of individual privacy that could result from changes to the design of Social Security Cards."

Ron Lewis, American Politician

Design, Cards, Machine, Privacy

28

"It's all in how you arrange the thing... the careful balance of the design is the motion."

"It's all in how you arrange the thing... the careful balance of the design is the motion."

Andrew Wyeth, American Artist

Design, Balance

28

"Language, philosophy, and science are interwoven into the design of words, which are manipulated to create surprising illusions."

"Language, philosophy, and science are interwoven into the design of words, which are manipulated to create surprising illusions."

John Langdon, American Politician

Design, Science, Language, Philosophy

28

"I studied literature design and fashion design."

"I studied literature design and fashion design."

Danielle Steel, American Novelist

Design, Fashion, Literature

27

"English is taking over the world. I just wrote a piece about it. And it's not by design. The United States dominates because it's the biggest market."

"English is taking over the world. I just wrote a piece about it. And it's not by design. The United States dominates because it's the biggest market."

Norman Spinrad, American Author

Design, English, States, United

27

"We want people to realize you are at a design school, not a land grant college. The way we look says a great deal about who we are."

"We want people to realize you are at a design school, not a land grant college. The way we look says a great deal about who we are."

James Hall, American Musician

Design, People, College, Land

27

"In any case, his judgment and set of values, acting alone or through his assistants, determine not only what is gold and what is dross but the design of the history which he creates out of the metal. The historian decides what is significant, and what is not."

"In any case, his judgment and set of values, acting alone or through his assistants, determine not only what is gold and what is dross but the design of the history which he creates out of the metal. The historian decides what is significant, and what is not."

Samuel E. Morison, American Historian

Design, History, Values, Acting

26

"So, to really execute design in its highest form and making people feel joy, that's a great reward."

"So, to really execute design in its highest form and making people feel joy, that's a great reward."

Genevieve Gorder, American Designer

Design, People, Joy, Reward

26

"I design for the woman who loves being a woman."

"I design for the woman who loves being a woman."

Diane von Furstenberg, Belgian Designer

Design, Being, Woman

26

"The United States government first learned of the diversion of the W-88 nuclear warhead design in late 1995."

"The United States government first learned of the diversion of the W-88 nuclear warhead design in late 1995."

Charles Foster Bass, American Politician

Design, Government, First, States

25

"The mind is like a richly woven tapestry in which the colors are distilled from the experiences of the senses, and the design drawn from the convolutions of the intellect."

"The mind is like a richly woven tapestry in which the colors are distilled from the experiences of the senses, and the design drawn from the convolutions of the intellect."

Carson McCullers, American Novelist

Design, Colors, Intellect, Mind

25

"Design is directed toward human beings. To design is to solve human problems by identifying them and executing the best solution."

"Design is directed toward human beings. To design is to solve human problems by identifying them and executing the best solution."

Ivan Chermayeff, British Designer

Design, Problems, Solution

25

"It was something I was more interested in myself. When I went to see my sister dance at ballet, I was really into costumes and the arts, and my family was also supportive of whatever me and my sister wanted to do. I would say I pushed myself the most to be into design."

"It was something I was more interested in myself. When I went to see my sister dance at ballet, I was really into costumes and the arts, and my family was also supportive of whatever me and my sister wanted to do. I would say I pushed myself the most to be into design."

Christian Siriano, American Designer

Design, Family, Sister, Dance

25

"I am going to design... a Station after my own fancy; that is, with engineering roofs, etc."

"I am going to design... a Station after my own fancy; that is, with engineering roofs, etc."

Isambard K. Brunel, British Inventor

Design, Engineering, Fancy

25

"I prefer design by experts - by people who know what they are doing."

"I prefer design by experts - by people who know what they are doing."

Donald Norman, American Scientist

Design, People, Experts

25

"If we don't have accurate information, if we are not able to tell difficult truth one to another, we will never be able to effectively design a policy for Iraq."

"If we don't have accurate information, if we are not able to tell difficult truth one to another, we will never be able to effectively design a policy for Iraq."

Jack Reed, American Politician

Design, Truth, Policy, Information

25

"It is to be noted that when any part of this paper appears dull there is a design in it."

"It is to be noted that when any part of this paper appears dull there is a design in it."

Richard Steele, British Dramatist

24

"And I think my sexuality was heavily repressed by the church, by the, you know, the design of the mortal sins."

"And I think my sexuality was heavily repressed by the church, by the, you know, the design of the mortal sins."

Thomas Keneally, Australian Novelist

Design, Church, Sexuality

24

"Design has taken the place of what sailing used to be."

"Design has taken the place of what sailing used to be."

Dennis Conner, American Athlete

24

"In its report, the Cox Committee concludes that China is using stolen U.S. design information to speed up its deployment of a new nuclear missile force."

"In its report, the Cox Committee concludes that China is using stolen U.S. design information to speed up its deployment of a new nuclear missile force."

Charles Foster Bass, American Politician

Design, Committee, Force, Information

24

"The design of each element should be thought out in order to be easy to make and easy to repair."

"The design of each element should be thought out in order to be easy to make and easy to repair."

Leo Fender, American Businessman

Design, Thought, Order

23

"To design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master."

"To design is to communicate clearly by whatever means you can control or master."

Milton Glaser, American Designer

Design, Control

23

bottom of page