Discover these Inspiring Design Quotes

The design quotes listed below are interesting and inspiring.

Design can take on many forms in the modern world.

When talking about design, it could be related to physical art, digital art, graphics for businesses, fashion, and architecture.

The word ‘design’ can also be used to describe creating plans and steps to create the life you want to live. 

Some of the characteristics to consider with design include innovation, aesthetics, impact, and value, among others. 

Design is all about choosing how you want something to look and/or function.

Because everyone has different tastes and preferences, a finished product can look many different ways, and not everyone may agree on the success of the finished product.

It’s all part of the creativity and personal preferences that are part of designing something.

If you enjoy taking control and designing, these design quotes will speak to you.

Top Ten Design Quotes

Take a look at some of our favorite design quotes in this next collection! Do you see any that you recognize?

1. “Design is thinking made visual.” – Saul Bass

2. “Do not seek praise, seek criticism.” – Paul Arden

3. “Designers may be the true intellectuals of the future.” – Paola Antonelli

4. “Design adds value faster than it adds costs.” – Thomas C. Gale 

5. “Color does not add a pleasant quality to design – it reinforces it.” – Pierre Bonnard

6. “Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.” – Robert L. Peters 

7. “Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent.” – Joe Sparano

8. “If design isn’t profitable, then it’s art.” – Henrik Fisker 

9. “Design is a solution to a problem; art is a question to a problem.” – John Maeda

10. “Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas, worry about the day they stop.” – Jeffrey Zeldman

Design Quotes for Professional Designers 

We have included quotes for the professional designers or the ones that want to be able to design like professionals. Take a look below and see what you think.

11. “I think designers who aren’t selfish do really awful work.” – Paul Sahre

12. “Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.” – Jeffrey Zeldman

13. “Design can be art. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.” – Paul Rand 

14. “There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” – Milton Glaser

15. “Good design is all about making other designers feel like idiots because that idea wasn’t theirs.” – Frank Chimero

16. “No design works unless it embodies ideas that are held common by the people for whom the object is intended.” – Adrian Forty

17. “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint–Exupéry

18. “Design is as much a matter of finding problems as it is solving them.” – Bryan Lawson

19. “A good designer finds an elegant way to put everything you need on a page. A great des igner convinces you half that shit is unnecessary.” – Mike Monteiro

20. “Bad design shouts at you. Good design is the silent seller.” – Shane Meendering

Short yet Engaging Design Quotes

This next set of quotes are short, but they will really get your attention! Check out the quotes below and see if any of them change how you think about designing.

21. “Never half–ass two things. Whole–ass one thing.” – Ron Swanson

22. “Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.” – Bill Moyers

23. “Good design begins with honesty, asks tough questions, comes from collaboration and from trusting your intuition.” – Freeman Thomas

24. “Good art inspires; Good design motivates.” – Otl Aicher

25. “When typography is on point, words become images.” – Shawn Lukas

26. “People don’t use a product because of the great design; great design helps them use the product.” – Viran Anuradha Dayaratne

27. “It’s fashion if no one asks for an explanation. It’s design if it doesn’t need explanation.” – Wouter Stokkel

28. “Design is like a mom, nobody notices when she’s around, but everybody misses her when she’s not.” – Santiago Borray

29. “Design has to work, art does not.” – Donald Judd

30. “Graphic design will save the world right after rock and roll does.” – David Carson

Design Quotes Related to Technology

Technology has impacted all parts of the world, including design. Take a look at the quotes about blending designing and technology.

31. “If you find an element of your interface requires instructions, then you need to redesign it.” – Dan Rubin

32. “A graphic designer is a machine that turns coffee into beautiful, functional imagery.” – Lisa Manson

33. “Everybody’s a web designer until, you know, they actually try to do it.” – Gabe Boning

34. “Graphic designs will change the world right after rock and roll does.” – David Carson

35. “Technology over technique produces emotionless design.” – Daniel Mall

36. “The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all.” – Douglas Martin

37. “Design is where science and art break even.” – Robin Mathew

38. “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – Steve Jobs

39. “Truly elegant design incorporates top-notch functionality into a simple, uncluttered form.” – David Lewis

40. “Design is the body language of your marketing. Don’t slouch.” – Mark King

Design Quotes that are Simply Interesting

Designing is such a creative art that really draws you in. Take a look at these interesting design quotes.

41. “Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design.” – Charles Eames

42. “To create a memorable design you need to start with a thought that’s worth remembering.” – Thomas Manss

43. “Accessible design is a good design.” – Steve Ballmer

44. “The life of a designer is a life of fight: Fight against the ugliness.” – Massimo Vignelli

45. “Every great design begins with an even better story.” – Lorinda Mamo

46. “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” – Steve Jobs

47. “The details are not the details. They make the design.” – Charles Eames

48. “Everything is design. Everything!” – Paul Rand

49. “The function of design is letting design function.” – Micha Commeren

50. “Design is not a single object or dimension. Design is mess and complex.” – Hans Hoffman

Which One of these Favorite Design Quotes is your Favorite 

Now that you have gone through our compilation of design quotes, you might have found one that really inspired you.

Since we all have different tastes, we included nearly all types of design quotes to give you a nice combination of design quotes.

You can share these quotes via social media platforms and bring more followers to your account.

Did any of the design quotes make you want to get in the design industry?

Maybe they inspired you to let your creative design ideas flow?

Did you find your favorite design quote in the collection?

Please post any comments below to keep the conversation going.