Top 15 Design Quotes To Inspire You In 2023
alex, founder & Designer at RoudLet’s learn from what they have to say with these top 15 web design quotes.
Design is the intermediary between information and understanding.
This quote from American artist, Hofmann, reinforces the purpose of good design. Like a well-designed car, a beautiful website should feel intuitive to the user. Its features should blend thought and action seamlessly into one.
The alternative to good design is always bad design. There is no such thing as no design.
Adam Judge, the author of ‘The Little Black Book of Design,’ inspires us to consider every aspect of visual branding. Choosing not to design a certain feature on a website isn’t possible – that’s just bad design in action, and it will let down the overall impact of the whole page.
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
Steve Jobs needs no introduction. In this quote, the co-founder of Apple reminds us not to forget functionality in our eagerness to make a beautiful web design. After all, we all know that an incredible background on our homepage won’t have the desired effect if users can’t see their cursor against it.
Great designs are made by excellent use of white space, and plenty of it.
Designer, writer, and curator Ellen Lupton battles against the all-too-common belief that white space is simply space that’s waiting to be filled. The interplay between empty space and color is one of the most important considerations to make when planning a design, as this is what helps key features stand out and gives your work the room it needs to breathe.
A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.
Think of McDonald’s logo. Its simplicity would have faded into history had the chain itself not become one of the most iconic brands in the world. Graphic designer Paul Rand reminds us that the most effective design is always backed up by a quality business.
Every great design begins with an even better story.
A designer and creative director, Mamo encourages us to view design as storytelling. Our hunger for stories is part of what makes us human. Whether it’s the story of your brand, a client’s brand, or a concept you’re trying to explain, find the narrative in everything, and use your design to make it dance.
When you are stuck, walk away from the computer and draw. It will teach you how to see.
It’s tempting to think that web design begins and ends online. But as designer Gerard Huerta states, the best ideas often come from art, nature, and even doodling. Always keep your eyes (and mind) open.
Digital design is like painting, except the paint never dries.
London-based designer Brody reminds us that digital design is always a fluid process. While this idea can feel overwhelming, as it implies that the process is never truly finished, it’s also encouraging. Unlike paintings, which bear the marks of past mistakes, you can always enhance and improve your digital design; it evolves as you and your business grow.
Being a famous designer is like being a famous dentist.
Mairoka’s quote may seem lighthearted, but it also sheds serious light on the nature and value of design. A cosmetic dentist is concerned with the overall health, quality, and appearance of their patients’ teeth. Think of design work like dentistry – the elements that manage the usability of a site are the ‘braces’ of the branding world, while visual elements ensure that the look and feel of the site reflect its functionality. Get the basics straightened out first before polishing the final layer.
Don’t design for everyone. It’s impossible. All you end up doing is designing something that makes everyone unhappy.
Reichelt reminds us of the importance of knowing your user. A site that sells jewelry in New York isn’t aiming to attract the same customer base as a site that sources lead generation in London. Research each site’s target demographic and draw a mental image of their quintessential customer – age, gender, income, hobbies, values. Design for them and nobody else.
I strive for two things in design: simplicity and clarity. Great design is born of those two things.
Lindon Leader was the designer behind the award-winning logo for FedEx, which perfectly embodies both simplicity and clarity. This quote recalls the basics of design. With all the tools, principles, and trends out there, it can be tempting to overthink your branding in a bid to stand out. But if the FedEx logo can teach us anything, it’s that the most effective ideas are often the simplest.
The challenge is for the graphic designer to turn data into information, and information into messages of meaning.
As Hans Hofmann said above, ‘design is the intermediary between information and understanding.’ Katherine McCoy goes further, reminding us that good web design is the difference between presenting your users with raw data and providing them with ‘messages of meaning.’ This phrase is key – the nature of your design should help customers to interpret the information on your site, changing it from mere ‘information’ to crystal-clear ‘messages of meaning.’
My argument is that all graphic designers hold high levels of responsibility in society. We take invisible ideas and make them tangible. That’s our job.
Creative design gives a voice to unspoken ideas. As Debbie Millman sees it, this should come with a high level of responsibility. Think about the branding of your site and the sort of ideas you want to put into the world, and make sure that all visual elements corroborate these ideas. After all, almost anything that ends up on the web is a form of social enterprise.
Design adds value fast than it adds cost.
Joel Spolsky is a writer, programmer, and the founder of project manager app Trello. He argues that web design is so intrinsic to a business that its value will always outweigh the cost of its creation – as long as it’s done well. When you’re designing, you should consider how each element will add value to the user experience and how this will add value to the business. A well-designed website is an exchange between branding and buyers, bringing value to both with every interaction.
There is no such thing as a boring project. There are only boring executions.
The final quote to make this list encourages us to see the potential in every project. A brief might sound a little boring, but that doesn’t mean your branding has to be. It might even inspire you. Think outside the box, keep your user in mind, and find a new way of looking at things that will inspire them too.
