“Think of and look at your work as though it were done by your enemy. If you look at it to admire it, you are lost”
This initiative is an attempt to curate inspiring morsels largely focused on design, art, philosophy and architecture - also including a variety of other interesting subjects. The collection is updated and maintained on an ad-hoc basis.
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Design aesthetic
Without aesthetic, design is either the humdrum repetition of familiar clichés or a wild scramble for novelty.
Without the aesthetic, the computer is but a mindless speed machine, producing effects without substance. Form without relevant content, or content without meaningful form.
— Paul Rand
Without the aesthetic, the computer is but a mindless speed machine, producing effects without substance. Form without relevant content, or content without meaningful form.
— Paul Rand
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Foolproof
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
— Douglas Adams
— Douglas Adams
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Abandoned
A poem design is never finished, only abandoned.
— Paul Valery
— Paul Valery
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Grids are limiting
To say a grid is limiting is to say that language is limiting, or typography is limiting.
It is up to us to use these media critically or passively.
— Ellen Lupton
It is up to us to use these media critically or passively.
— Ellen Lupton
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Rhyme
Fuck design, let’s dance.
— Andre Toet
— Andre Toet
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Function
What works good is better than what looks good. Because what works good lasts.
— Ray Eames
— Ray Eames
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Language
Typography is what language
looks like.
looks like.
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Days of the week
The days of the week are named after the Saxon gods (except for Saturday, which is named after the Roman god of agriculture).
Sunday is named after the sun, Monday after the moon, Tuesday after Tiw, Wednesday after Woden, Thursday after Thor, Friday after Frige, and Saturday after Saturn.
Sunday is named after the sun, Monday after the moon, Tuesday after Tiw, Wednesday after Woden, Thursday after Thor, Friday after Frige, and Saturday after Saturn.
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Form and beauty
Beauty will result from the form and the correspondence of the whole, with respect to the several parts, of the parts with regard to each other, and of these again to the whole; that the structure may appear
an entire and complete body, wherein each member agrees with the other, and all necessary to compose what you intend to form.
— Andrea Palladio
— Andrea Palladio
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The grid system
The grid system is an aid, not a guarantee. It permits a number of possible uses and each designer can look for a solution appropiate to his personal style.
But one must learn how to use the grid; it is an art that
requires practice.
— Josef Muller-Brockman
But one must learn how to use the grid; it is an art that
requires practice.
— Josef Muller-Brockman
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Angel
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.
— Michelangelo
— Michelangelo
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Deadlines
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make
as they go by.
— Douglas Adams
as they go by.
— Douglas Adams
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Design != Veneer
In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer.
It’s interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains of the sofa.
But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design.
Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.
— Steve Jobs
It’s interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains of the sofa.
But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design.
Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.
— Steve Jobs
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Make it beautiful
Don’t make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don't hesitate to make it beautiful.
— Shaker design philosophy
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All in a moment
Something that shapes our work as designers is personal experience. In my life I experience tremendous change, moving from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, from one person to the next, from advertising to design, my roles change every minute of the day.
This minute I'm a friend, next minute I'll be a son. I can be an employer or an employee at the same time. Human experiences are multidimensional, and in my work I would like to reflect that.
— Tung Chiang
This minute I'm a friend, next minute I'll be a son. I can be an employer or an employee at the same time. Human experiences are multidimensional, and in my work I would like to reflect that.
— Tung Chiang
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Stuff of life
Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life, necessary for everyone in a
civilized society.
— Walter Gropius, Architect and Founder, Bauhaus
civilized society.
— Walter Gropius, Architect and Founder, Bauhaus
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Googol
Words of wisdom are spoken by children at least as often as by scientists.
The name 'googol' was invented by a child who was asked to think up a name for a very big number, namely, 1 with a hundred zeros after it.
The name 'googol' was invented by a child who was asked to think up a name for a very big number, namely, 1 with a hundred zeros after it.
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Understanding design
To understand the meaning of design is… to understand the part form and content play… and to realize that design is also commentary, opinion, a point of view, and social responsibility.
To design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit; it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse.
To design is much more than simply to assemble, to order, or even to edit; it is to add value and meaning, to illuminate, to simplify, to clarify, to modify, to dignify, to dramatize, to persuade, and perhaps even to amuse.
Design is both a verb and a noun. It is the beginning as well as the end, the process and product of imagination.
— Paul Rand
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Subjectivity
The designer does not, as a rule, begin with a preconceived idea. His idea is the result of subjective and objective thought, and the design a product of the idea.
In order, therefore, to achieve an honest and effective solution he necessarily passes thought some sort of mental process ...
Consciously or not, he analyzes, interprets, translates ...
He improvises, invents new techniques and combinations.
In order, therefore, to achieve an honest and effective solution he necessarily passes thought some sort of mental process ...
Consciously or not, he analyzes, interprets, translates ...
He improvises, invents new techniques and combinations.
He coordinates and integrates his material so that he may restate his problem in terms of ideas, pictures, forms, and shapes. He unifies, simplifies, eliminates superfluities.
He symbolizes ... abstract from his material by association and analogy. He intensifies and reinforces his symbol with appropriate accessories to achieve clarity and interest.
He draws upon instinct and intuition. He considers the spectator, his feelings
and predilections.
He symbolizes ... abstract from his material by association and analogy. He intensifies and reinforces his symbol with appropriate accessories to achieve clarity and interest.
He draws upon instinct and intuition. He considers the spectator, his feelings
and predilections.
— Paul Rand
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Time
Becoming a top expert takes about 10,000 hours of hard work.
— Malcom Gladwell
— Malcom Gladwell
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Effortless
I lisped in numbers and the numbers came.
— Oscar Wilde
— Oscar Wilde
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Interruption
Finding new ways, more clever ways to interrupt people
doesn't work.
— Seth Goldin
doesn't work.
— Seth Goldin
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Ethos
Work like a slave, command like a king, create like a god.
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Future
Let the future tell the truth, and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The present is theirs; the future, for which I have really worked, is mine.
— Nikola Tesla
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Ideation
My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get a new idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination, and make improvements and operate the device in my mind.
When I have gone so far as to embody everything in my invention, every possible improvement I can think of, and when I see no fault anywhere, I put into concrete form the final product of my brain.
— Nikola Tesla
When I have gone so far as to embody everything in my invention, every possible improvement I can think of, and when I see no fault anywhere, I put into concrete form the final product of my brain.
— Nikola Tesla
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Obvious
The best thing design can do for a company is to express that company’s personality accurately and compellingly, and in so doing permit that organizations inherent strengths to prevail.
This can be through graphics, product, environments,
or experiences.
— Michael Bierut
This can be through graphics, product, environments,
or experiences.
— Michael Bierut
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Master
Learn the principle, abide by the principle, and dissolve the principle. In short, enter a mold without being caged in it.
Obey the principle without being bound by it. Learn,
Master and Achieve!
— Bruce Lee
Obey the principle without being bound by it. Learn,
Master and Achieve!
— Bruce Lee
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Cost of perfection
Picasso was in a park when a woman approached him and asked him to draw a portrait of her.
Picasso agreed and quickly sketches her.
After handing the sketch to her, she is pleased with the likeness and asks how much she owed to him.
Picasso replies: "$5,000."
The woman screamed, "But it took you only five minutes."
"No, madam, it took me all my life" replied Picasso.
Picasso agreed and quickly sketches her.
After handing the sketch to her, she is pleased with the likeness and asks how much she owed to him.
Picasso replies: "$5,000."
The woman screamed, "But it took you only five minutes."
"No, madam, it took me all my life" replied Picasso.
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Rewards
Designer's derive their rewards from �inner standards of excellence, from the intrinsic satisfaction of their tasks.
They are committed to the task, not the job. To their standards, not their boss.’
So whereas most people divide their lives between time spent earning money and time spent spending it, designers generally lead a seamless existence in which work and play are synonymous.
As Milanese designer Richard Sapper put it: �I never work—all the time.’
They are committed to the task, not the job. To their standards, not their boss.’
So whereas most people divide their lives between time spent earning money and time spent spending it, designers generally lead a seamless existence in which work and play are synonymous.
As Milanese designer Richard Sapper put it: �I never work—all the time.’
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Type arsenal
A designer should only use these 5 typefaces: Bodoni, Helvetica, Times Roman, Century, Futura.
— Massimo Vignelli
— Massimo Vignelli
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Process
When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty.
I only think about how to solve the problem.
But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful,
I know it is wrong.”
— Buckminster Fuller
I only think about how to solve the problem.
But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful,
I know it is wrong.”
— Buckminster Fuller
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Helvetica
Helvetica is like a good screwdriver; a reliable, efficient, easy-to-use tool.
But put in the wrong hands and it’s potentially lethal.
— Tom Geismar
— Tom Geismar
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Influences
No design can exist in isolation. It is always related, sometimes in very complex ways, to an entire constellation of influencing situations and attitudes.
What we call a good design is one which achieves integrity – that is, unity or wholeness – in balanced relation to its environment.
The reason good design is hard to come by is that its creation demands a high degree of emotional and intellectual maturity in the designer, and such people are not found too often
— George Nelson
What we call a good design is one which achieves integrity – that is, unity or wholeness – in balanced relation to its environment.
The reason good design is hard to come by is that its creation demands a high degree of emotional and intellectual maturity in the designer, and such people are not found too often
— George Nelson
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Complaining
Complaining is silly.
Either act or forget.
— Stefan Sagmeister
Either act or forget.
— Stefan Sagmeister
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Fewer is more
If you are going to have less things, they have to be great things.
— John Maeda
— John Maeda
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Essential mistakes
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried
anything new. .
— Albert Einstein
anything new. .
— Albert Einstein
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When people say they don’t understand design, it’s because they don’t get involved in the process.
— Tom Dair
— Tom Dair
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Dedication
To run a great distance, you must leave everything behind.
— Aiyoku Proverb
— Aiyoku Proverb
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Curiosity
Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.
— Leo Burnett
— Leo Burnett
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Approach vs. style
It’s not important to develop your own style but your own approach.
— Massimo Vignelli
— Massimo Vignelli
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Simplification
The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
— Hans Hofmann
— Hans Hofmann
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