--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ultimately, we are deluding ourselves if…" description: "\"Ultimately, we are deluding ourselves if we think that the products that we design are the ‘things’ that we sell, rather than the individual, social an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/bill-buxton-34445_design_ultimately-we-are-deluding-ourselves-if_2766704.jpg" --- # Ultimately, we are deluding ourselves if we think that the… ![“Ultimately, we are deluding ourselves if we think that the products that we design are the ‘things’ that we sell, rather than the individual, social and cultural experience that they engender, and the value and impact that they have. Design that ignores this is not worthy of the name.” quote by Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/bill-buxton-34445_design_ultimately-we-are-deluding-ourselves-if_2766704.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/bill-buxton-34445_design_ultimately-we-are-deluding-ourselves-if_2766704.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3a/bill-buxton-34445_design_ultimately-we-are-deluding-ourselves-if_2766704.jpg) > “Ultimately, we are deluding ourselves if we think that the products that we design are the ‘things’ that we sell, rather than the individual, social and cultural experience that they engender, and the value and impact that they have. Design that ignores this is not worthy of the name.” [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design should focus on the experience and cultural impact, not just the product itself. **In simple terms:** Design for experience, not just objects. Key Takeaway Prioritize user experience and cultural context. Themes design experience culture Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - product development - marketing - education Key Concepts human‑centered design social impact Questions to Reflect On - How can designers assess cultural impact? - What experiences define a product’s value? A Different Perspective Hard to measure cultural impact quantitatively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Ignores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-ignores-3212075/) [Design Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-things-802097/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Not worthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-worthy/) [Products](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/products/) [Products Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/products-design-2066817/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Think Products](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-products-1545545/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Worthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worthy/) ## Related quotes > [The products we design are going to be ridden in, sat upon, looked at, talked into, activated, operated, or in some way used by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dreyfuss/the-products-we-design-are-going-to-be-ridden-in-sat-upon-looked-at/) [Henry Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-dreyfuss/) > [I do believe that most startups who develop applications and digital products design 'towards the middle.' By this, I mean they design their products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/i-do-believe-that-most-startups-who-develop-applications-and-digital/) [Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/) > [If you think the products don't match what you want from a product, don't buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-think-the-products-don-t-match-what-you-want-from-a-product/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sephora has always been the best, in the sense that they love me for me and that they let me be me. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-von-d/sephora-has-always-been-the-best-in-the-sense-that-they-love-me-for/) [Kat Von D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-von-d/) > [We could be like a lot of consumer brands that start blogs after they start their business. But in our case, I think Glossier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/we-could-be-like-a-lot-of-consumer-brands-that-start-blogs-after-they/) [Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/) > [Great design is so many things all at the same time. It is emotional, functional, and responsive. It creates an unwritten dialogue, a connection,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-wanders/great-design-is-so-many-things-all-at-the-same-time-it-is-emotional/) [Marcel Wanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-wanders/) > [Most of the manufacturers they tend to design things to sell they are more interested in the money side than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimo-vignelli/most-of-the-manufacturers-they-tend-to-design-things-to-sell-they-are/) [Massimo Vignelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimo-vignelli/) > [I design things to help people to hopefully express their personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-design-things-to-help-people-to-hopefully-express-their-personality/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [“looking for people to design the graphical interface for Apple’s new operating system, Jobs got an email from a young man and invited him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/looking-for-people-to-design-the-graphical-interface-for-apple-s-new/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [I love to design things that people can actually buy. I'm staggered by what a boot costs today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-love-to-design-things-that-people-can-actually-buy-i-m-staggered-by/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [Men have no concept of how to design things for the home. Women should design the things they use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-zeisel/men-have-no-concept-of-how-to-design-things-for-the-home-women-should/) [Eva Zeisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-zeisel/) > [My dreams are my work. I design out of the things that I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-lauren/my-dreams-are-my-work-i-design-out-of-the-things-that-i-love/) [Ralph Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-lauren/) > [I think it's really important to design things with a kind of personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-newson/i-think-it-s-really-important-to-design-things-with-a-kind-of/) [Marc Newson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-newson/) > [To design things means to interfere with things: to think of how they might be and to alter how they are. Design is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bringhurst/to-design-things-means-to-interfere-with-things-to-think-of-how-they/) [Robert Bringhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bringhurst/) > [The point is that I don't design stuff for myself. I'm a toolmaker. I design things that other people want to use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moog/the-point-is-that-i-don-t-design-stuff-for-myself-i-m-a-toolmaker-i/) [Robert Moog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moog/) ## More by Bill Buxton > [“Sketches are social things. They are lonely outside the company of other sketches and related reference material. They are lonely if they are discarded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/sketches-are-social-things-they-are-lonely-outside-the-company-of/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [The experience is about how we get there, not the landing place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/the-experience-is-about-how-we-get-there-not-the-landing-place/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [Always be a beginner at something, and always be in love with what you are beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/always-be-a-beginner-at-something-and-always-be-in-love-with-what-you/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [Our job is not to answer questions, its to ask the right questions...that get us to the right answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/our-job-is-not-to-answer-questions-its-to-ask-the-right-questions/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [If history is any indication, we should assume that any technology that is going to have a significant impact over the next 10 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/if-history-is-any-indication-we-should-assume-that-any-technology/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [The fundamental thing about sketching is that it isabout asking not telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/the-fundamental-thing-about-sketching-is-that-it-isabout-asking-not/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [If you want toget the most outof a sketch, youneed to leave bigenough holes forthe imaginationto fit in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/if-you-want-toget-the-most-outof-a-sketch-youneed-to-leave-bigenough/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [ My thesis \[is\] that in order to design a tool, we must make our best efforts to understand the larger social and physical context… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/my-thesis-is-that-in-order-to-design-a-tool-we-must-make-our-best/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [Always be a beginner at something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/always-be-a-beginner-at-something/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [The only way to engineer the future tomorrow is to have lived in it yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/the-only-way-to-engineer-the-future-tomorrow-is-to-have-lived-in-it/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [When we have this description, of what a sketch is, itsattributes, we can then start inventing new things thatshare those attributes, and therefore improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/when-we-have-this-description-of-what-a-sketch-is-itsattributes-we/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [If I can see it, it's a failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/if-i-can-see-it-it-s-a-failure/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) > [The diversity of web browsers tomorrow will match the diversity of ink browsers (aka paper) today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-buxton/the-diversity-of-web-browsers-tomorrow-will-match-the-diversity-of/) [Bill Buxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) [Explore all 14 Bill Buxton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-buxton/) ## More Design quotes > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) [Jen-Hsun Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-hsun-huang/) > [Design is not making beauty, beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration, love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/design-is-not-making-beauty-beauty-emerges-from-selection-affinities/) [Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [I design some of my own clothes now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiernan-shipka/i-design-some-of-my-own-clothes-now/) [Kiernan Shipka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiernan-shipka/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [Design is a very personal thing. It's like art. Your personal choice plays a big role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/design-is-a-very-personal-thing-it-s-like-art-your-personal-choice/) [Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/) > [“Designing posters, for me, is not only a commercial pursuit but also a philosophical endeavor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fang-chen/designing-posters-for-me-is-not-only-a-commercial-pursuit-but-also-a/) [Fang Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fang-chen/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [Users are not designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/users-are-not-designers/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works, but each one launches another. Every constraint, even dullness, frees up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/i-write-the-way-you-might-arrange-flowers-not-every-try-works-but/) [Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/) [Browse all 5,563 Design quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ultimately, we are deluding ourselves if we think that the products that we design are the ‘things’ that we sell, rather than the individual, social and cultural experience that they engender, and the value and impact that they have. 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