--- title: "12 Bad Design Quotes by 10 authors" description: "Browse 12 Bad Design quotes by 10 authors. Discover the best Bad Design sayings and thoughts." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/ralf-speth-271314_cost_if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-yo_81146.png" --- > [If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralf-speth/if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-you-should-look-at-the-cost-of/) [Ralf Speth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralf-speth/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/ralf-speth-271314_cost_if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-yo_81146.png) > [Good design doesn't date. Bad design does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/good-design-doesn-t-date-bad-design-does/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/paul-rand-14711_bad_good-design-doesn-t-date-bad-design-does_1590254.png) > [“The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-alternative-to-good-design-is-bad-design-not-no-design-at-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/anonymous-1_good-design_the-alternative-to-good-design-is-bad-de_1799337.jpg) > [Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-tufte/good-design-is-clear-thinking-made-visible-bad-design-is-stupidity/) [Edward Tufte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-tufte/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edward-tufte-10613_clear_good-design-is-clear-thinking-made-visib_2813741.jpg) > [The great pyramid is overrated. It's a bad design. The lounge is going to be huge, but the bedroom is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/the-great-pyramid-is-overrated-it-s-a-bad-design-the-lounge-is-going/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/karl-pilkington-1541_bedroom_the-great-pyramid-is-overrated-it-s-a-ba_51229.png) > [Think good design is expensive? Just wait and see what bad design ends up costing you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/think-good-design-is-expensive-just-wait-and-see-what-bad-design-ends/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/anonymous-1_engineering_think-good-design-is-expensive-just-wait_2304144.jpg) > [I'm convinced that without bad design, the world would be a far less stimulating place; we would have nothing to marvel over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fulton-phillips/i-m-convinced-that-without-bad-design-the-world-would-be-a-far-less/) [Carrie Fulton Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fulton-phillips/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/carrie-fulton-phillips-226192_architecture-and-des_i-m-convinced-that-without-bad-design-th_964669.png) > [Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-to-a-device-it-is-an/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/donald-a-norman-6862_design_any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-t_379949.jpg) > [In all situations where bad design decisions were made, people lacked some information that would have helped them make the right decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-spool/in-all-situations-where-bad-design-decisions-were-made-people-lacked/) [Jared Spool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-spool/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/jared-spool-36069_decision_in-all-situations-where-bad-design-decis_2784028.png) > [When you as a designer design something that burdens a community with maintenance and old world technology, basically failed developed world technology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-sinclair/when-you-as-a-designer-design-something-that-burdens-a-community-with/) [Cameron Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-sinclair/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/cameron-sinclair-22914_bad_when-you-as-a-designer-design-something_594630.png) > [The public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-design-than-good-design-it-is-in/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/paul-rand-14711_design_the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-des_577269.png) > [“No. Just no. The hairiness, and the lumpiness, and the great big fumbling fingers and … balls. I mean, balls. What’s that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/no-just-no-the-hairiness-and-the-lumpiness-and-the-great-big-fumbling/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/joe-abercrombie-791_unattractive_no-just-no-the-hairiness-and-the-lumpine_1437634.png) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-design/#itemlist", "name": "Bad Design Quotes", "numberOfItems": 12, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ralf Speth" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralf-speth/if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-you-should-look-at-the-cost-of/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/ralf-speth-271314_cost_if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-yo_81146.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/ralf-speth-271314_cost_if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-yo_81146.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/ralf-speth-271314_cost_if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-yo_81146.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.” — Ralf Speth", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Good design doesn't date. Bad design does.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Rand" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/good-design-doesn-t-date-bad-design-does/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/paul-rand-14711_bad_good-design-doesn-t-date-bad-design-does_1590254.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/paul-rand-14711_bad_good-design-doesn-t-date-bad-design-does_1590254.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa4/paul-rand-14711_bad_good-design-doesn-t-date-bad-design-does_1590254.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Good design doesn't date. Bad design does.” — Paul Rand", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-alternative-to-good-design-is-bad-design-not-no-design-at-all/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/anonymous-1_good-design_the-alternative-to-good-design-is-bad-de_1799337.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/anonymous-1_good-design_the-alternative-to-good-design-is-bad-de_1799337.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/anonymous-1_good-design_the-alternative-to-good-design-is-bad-de_1799337.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The alternative to good design is bad design, not no design at all.” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Tufte" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-tufte/good-design-is-clear-thinking-made-visible-bad-design-is-stupidity/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edward-tufte-10613_clear_good-design-is-clear-thinking-made-visib_2813741.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edward-tufte-10613_clear_good-design-is-clear-thinking-made-visib_2813741.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/edward-tufte-10613_clear_good-design-is-clear-thinking-made-visib_2813741.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible” — Edward Tufte", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great pyramid is overrated. It's a bad design. The lounge is going to be huge, but the bedroom is going to be tiny.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Karl Pilkington" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/the-great-pyramid-is-overrated-it-s-a-bad-design-the-lounge-is-going/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/karl-pilkington-1541_bedroom_the-great-pyramid-is-overrated-it-s-a-ba_51229.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/karl-pilkington-1541_bedroom_the-great-pyramid-is-overrated-it-s-a-ba_51229.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/karl-pilkington-1541_bedroom_the-great-pyramid-is-overrated-it-s-a-ba_51229.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great pyramid is overrated. It's a bad design. The lounge is going to be huge, but the bedroom is going…” — Karl Pilkington", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Think good design is expensive? Just wait and see what bad design ends up costing you.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/think-good-design-is-expensive-just-wait-and-see-what-bad-design-ends/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/anonymous-1_engineering_think-good-design-is-expensive-just-wait_2304144.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/anonymous-1_engineering_think-good-design-is-expensive-just-wait_2304144.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a57/anonymous-1_engineering_think-good-design-is-expensive-just-wait_2304144.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Think good design is expensive? Just wait and see what bad design ends up costing you.” — Anonymous", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm convinced that without bad design, the world would be a far less stimulating place; we would have nothing to marvel over and nothing to be nostalgic about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carrie Fulton Phillips" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fulton-phillips/i-m-convinced-that-without-bad-design-the-world-would-be-a-far-less/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/carrie-fulton-phillips-226192_architecture-and-des_i-m-convinced-that-without-bad-design-th_964669.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/carrie-fulton-phillips-226192_architecture-and-des_i-m-convinced-that-without-bad-design-th_964669.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cb/carrie-fulton-phillips-226192_architecture-and-des_i-m-convinced-that-without-bad-design-th_964669.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm convinced that without bad design, the world would be a far less stimulating place; we would have…” — Carrie Fulton Phillips", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should not require instructions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald A. Norman" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-to-a-device-it-is-an/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/donald-a-norman-6862_design_any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-t_379949.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/donald-a-norman-6862_design_any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-t_379949.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5b/donald-a-norman-6862_design_any-time-you-see-signs-or-labels-added-t_379949.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should…” — Donald A. Norman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In all situations where bad design decisions were made, people lacked some information that would have helped them make the right decision.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jared Spool" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-spool/in-all-situations-where-bad-design-decisions-were-made-people-lacked/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/jared-spool-36069_decision_in-all-situations-where-bad-design-decis_2784028.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/jared-spool-36069_decision_in-all-situations-where-bad-design-decis_2784028.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3be/jared-spool-36069_decision_in-all-situations-where-bad-design-decis_2784028.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In all situations where bad design decisions were made, people lacked some information that would have…” — Jared Spool", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you as a designer design something that burdens a community with maintenance and old world technology, basically failed developed world technology, then you will crush that community way beyond bad design; you'll destroy the economics of that community, and often the community socially is broken.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cameron Sinclair" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-sinclair/when-you-as-a-designer-design-something-that-burdens-a-community-with/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/cameron-sinclair-22914_bad_when-you-as-a-designer-design-something_594630.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/cameron-sinclair-22914_bad_when-you-as-a-designer-design-something_594630.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/cameron-sinclair-22914_bad_when-you-as-a-designer-design-something_594630.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you as a designer design something that burdens a community with maintenance and old world technology…” — Cameron Sinclair", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what it lives with. The new becomes threatening, the old reassuring.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Rand" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-design-than-good-design-it-is-in/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/paul-rand-14711_design_the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-des_577269.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/paul-rand-14711_design_the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-des_577269.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07d/paul-rand-14711_design_the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-des_577269.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad…” — Paul Rand", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 12, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No. Just no. The hairiness, and the lumpiness, and the great big fumbling fingers and … balls. I mean, balls. What’s that about? That is one singularly unattractive piece of anatomy. That is just … that is bad design, is what that is”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Abercrombie" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/no-just-no-the-hairiness-and-the-lumpiness-and-the-great-big-fumbling/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/joe-abercrombie-791_unattractive_no-just-no-the-hairiness-and-the-lumpine_1437634.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/joe-abercrombie-791_unattractive_no-just-no-the-hairiness-and-the-lumpine_1437634.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1f/joe-abercrombie-791_unattractive_no-just-no-the-hairiness-and-the-lumpine_1437634.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No. Just no. The hairiness, and the lumpiness, and the great big fumbling fingers and … balls. I mean…” — Joe Abercrombie", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-design/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-design/", "name": "Bad Design Quotes", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-design/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22c/ralf-speth-271314_cost_if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-yo_81146.png" }, "description": "Browse 12 Bad Design quotes by 10 authors. 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