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Design Quotes

On design as history, craft, and a single creative umbrella.

A few quotes here take a long historical view, tracing design back to early stone tools and ancient flutes long before the word itself existed. For more, see Creativity quotes.

I really liked the design of Batman. I liked the concept. There's a lot more you can do with Batman than most other superheroes.

Quotes by Chip Kidd

To whom does design address itself: to the greatest number, to the specialist of an enlightened matter, to a privileged social class? Design addresses itself to the need.

Quotes by Charles Eames

Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se.

Quotes by Charles Eames

Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose.

Quotes by Charles Eames

The details are not the details. They make the design.

Quotes by Charles Eames

Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.

Quotes by Charles Eames

In architecture the idea degenerated. Design allows a more direct and pleasurable route.

Quotes by Charles Eames

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.

Quotes by Charles Bass

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

Quotes by Charles Bass

From time to time, I've experimented with sculpture or metal design. It's a good break from just sitting behind the keyboard.

Quotes by Chad Hurley

We are very proud of our design for the Transbay Transit Center. This will be a beautiful, functional and sustainable building for San Francisco.

Quotes by Cesar Pelli

When our Founders created this great experiment in self-governance, the House of Representatives became, by design, the body closest to the people. We are the most accountable, and we must be the most transparent.

Quotes by Cathy McMorris Rodgers

I love every period in design history. Even the ugly ones.

Quotes by Catherine Martin

It's one thing to make financial aid available to students so they can attend college. It's another thing to design forms that students can actually fill out.

Quotes by Cass Sunstein

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.

Quotes by Carson McCullers

Fashion design is an important part of the creative industry that means the most to women.

Quotes by Carrie Lam

I'd like to do a lot of things - whether in design or architecture or business.

Quotes by Caroline Wozniacki

I rarely go into a shop on holiday, because fashion and design are what I'm involved in every day. I need another world.

Quotes by Carolina Herrera

Design is important, it's an important dimension in the car. It's not the only one.

Quotes by Carlos Ghosn

Great French design is often about unexpected touches.

Quotes by Candice Olson

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a quote about starting out in design through education?
Yes - one quote traces an early path into the field: "After I left school, where I studied art, photography and textiles at A-level, I started doing an apprenticeship in interior design, but I wasn't really enjoying it very much," showing that a first design path doesn't always stick.
Is there a quote about design's place in human history?
Yes. One quote takes a long view, explaining that "the first technology appeared in the form of stone tools, 2.6 million years ago." It goes on to add, "First entertainment comes evidence from flutes that are 35,000 years old," tracing design and creativity back through a long human timeline.
Is there a quote about designing buildings that become icons?
Yes - one quote is refreshingly modest about it: "People say I design architectural icons. If I design a building and it becomes an icon, that's ok." For more from people who design for a living, see Designer quotes.
Is there a quote about design covering many different fields?
Yes. One quote lists several: "If I wanted to do clothes or if I wanted to make a building or design a choreography, you are able to do that - they are all under a similar kind of design umbrella," treating fashion, architecture, and choreography as connected by the same creative process. That broader idea connects well with Creativity quotes.
Where can I find more quotes about the design process?
Take a look at Designing quotes and Designate quotes for more related reading.

Others describe design as one connected discipline - buildings, clothing, and choreography all falling under the same creative umbrella. Related pages: Designer quotes and Designing quotes.