A Selection of Creative Industry Quotes

Design, creativity, thinking, and the craft behind it

On Design Thinking & Problem Solving

“Good design’s not about what medium you’re working in. It’s about thinking hard about what you want to do and what you have to work with before you start,” as Susan Kare puts it.

“A well-defined problem is half solved,” according to Michael Osbourne.

“If you can properly define the problem, then you’ve already defined the solution as well,” says Chip Kidd.

“Good design is a matter of discipline… If you understand the problem, you have the solution,” as Massimo Vignelli explains.

On Ideas, Creativity & Execution

“The key to great ideas is not having them, it is executing them,” says Kate Moross.

“If no one hates it, no one really loves it,” according to Jessica Walsh.

“Never fall in love with an idea. They’re whores,” as bluntly put by Chip Kidd.

“Good ideas rarely come in bunches,” notes Paul Rand.

“It is very important to embrace failure… it’s much better to wind up with a lot of crap having tried it,” as Stefan Sagmeister reflects.

On Originality & Creative Integrity

“The fun of being a designer is to do something original… The good comes from what does the job,” says Bob Gill.

“A designer should reject the ineffectual commonplace for effectual originality,” as Lester Beall argued.

“Every designer’s dirty little secret is that they copy other designers’ work,” according to Aaron Russell.

“Don’t worry about people stealing your work. Worry about the day they stop,” says Jeffrey Zeldman.

On Craft, Detail & Quality

“For you to sleep well at night, the quality has to be carried all the way through,” as Steve Jobs famously said.

“Designers shooting for usable is like a chef shooting for edible,” according to Aarron Walter.

“Having small touches of colour makes it more colourful than having the whole thing in colour,” says Dieter Rams.

“I strive for two things in design: simplicity and clarity,” as Lindon Leader puts it.

“The best design tool is a long eraser with a pencil at one end,” as Marty Neumeier neatly summarises.

On Meaning, Communication & Perception

“Just because something’s legible doesn’t mean it communicates,” says David Carson.

“A logo doesn’t sell, it identifies,” as Paul Rand explains.

“Design works best when it gets out of the user’s way,” according to Neil Gajera.

“The public is more familiar with bad design than good design,” notes Paul Rand.

On Art vs Design

“Art has no purpose… Design is supposed to be understood,” as Paula Scher distinguishes.

“The difference between an artist and a designer… one has a deadline,” as Jay Benjamin puts it.

On Collaboration & Working with Others

“Only work with people you’d invite to your home for a meal,” says Garth Walker.“

“Graphic designers… don’t share and play well with others,” according to Wayne Hunt.

On Taste, Beauty & Emotion

“The desire for beauty is something that’s in us, and it’s not trivial,” as Stefan Sagmeister explains.

“I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares,” says Saul Bass.

On Thinking Differently

“If you dig a hole in the wrong place, digging deeper isn’t going to help,” as Seymour Chwast illustrates.

“The most popular typefaces… have become invisible through use,” according to Zuzana Licko.

On Pressure, Process & Reality

“You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet… the right mood is last-minute panic,” as Calvin admits in Calvin & Hobbes.

“There is often another brilliant solution possible,” says Bob Gill.

“Your opinion won’t matter. Prove your point with numbers,” according to Samantha Levan.

On Perspective & Mindset

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty,” as Winston Churchill observed.“

“If you’re not treating design as a calling, don’t do it,” says Paula Scher.

Final Thought