--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I try to look at design from a more…" description: "\"I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint.\" — Cynthia Rowley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/cynthia-rowley-18767_conceptual_i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conc_2389588.png" --- # I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint. ![“I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint.” quote by Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/cynthia-rowley-18767_conceptual_i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conc_2389588.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/cynthia-rowley-18767_conceptual_i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conc_2389588.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/cynthia-rowley-18767_conceptual_i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conc_2389588.png) > “I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint.” [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She emphasizes viewing design through abstract ideas rather than only practical details. **In simple terms:** Focus on big ideas in design. Key Takeaway Think conceptually before executing. Themes design creativity strategy Mood inspirational thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - product development - branding - creative brainstorming Key Concepts abstract thinking conceptual design visual communication Questions to Reflect On - How can abstract thinking improve a design? - When should practicality dominate? A Different Perspective Conceptual focus may overlook functional constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) ## Related quotes > [Having that opportunity to talk with people that you look up to in the design world is really rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-consani/having-that-opportunity-to-talk-with-people-that-you-look-up-to-in/) [Alex Consani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-consani/) > [Let it be your constant method to look into the design of people's actions, and see what they would be at, as often as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/let-it-be-your-constant-method-to-look-into-the-design-of-people-s/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [You meet with a CEO or founder. You talk about sales, engineering, product management and give some ideas or suggestions. And the founder quickly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/you-meet-with-a-ceo-or-founder-you-talk-about-sales-engineering/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [Conceptual art became the liberating idea that gave the art of the next 40 years its real impetus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/conceptual-art-became-the-liberating-idea-that-gave-the-art-of-the/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [I had never thought that I would be involved in narrative structures. As a young guy, I was more interested in abstract modeling. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-braxton/i-had-never-thought-that-i-would-be-involved-in-narrative-structures/) [Anthony Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-braxton/) > [Our talk of external things, our very notion of things, is just a conceptual apparatus that helps us to foresee and control the triggerings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/our-talk-of-external-things-our-very-notion-of-things-is-just-a/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [Out of time we cut 'days' and 'nights', 'summers' and 'winters.' We say what, each part of the sensible continuum is, and all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/out-of-time-we-cut-days-and-nights-summers-and-winters-we-say-what/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“World’s religions are conceptual. There are two parts in these concepts! One is auspicious and the other is inauspicious. World’s religions are into (doing)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/world-s-religions-are-conceptual-there-are-two-parts-in-these/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [I am not really interested in clothing as a conceptual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issey-miyake/i-am-not-really-interested-in-clothing-as-a-conceptual-art-form/) [Issey Miyake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issey-miyake/) > [I've come up through art school, through painting, through graphic design, through advertising, through TV commercials and music video. I've designed books, built billboards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kaye/i-ve-come-up-through-art-school-through-painting-through-graphic/) [Tony Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kaye/) > [Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world and how we relate to other people. Our conceptual system thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/our-concepts-structure-what-we-perceive-how-we-get-around-in-the/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [I doubt there's any government in the world that guides itself primarily by strategy or conceptual documents or worldview. Anybody who has the reins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/i-doubt-there-s-any-government-in-the-world-that-guides-itself/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [When I was starting out, conceptual photography had become something that had to be amateur - like, that had to be black-and-white, or photocopied,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elad-lassry/when-i-was-starting-out-conceptual-photography-had-become-something/) [Elad Lassry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elad-lassry/) > [Conceptual relativism is a heady and exotic doctrine, or would be if we could make good sense of it. The trouble is, as so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davidson/conceptual-relativism-is-a-heady-and-exotic-doctrine-or-would-be-if/) [Donald Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davidson/) > [In the particular dwells the tawdry. In the conceptual dwells the grand, the transcendent, the everlasting. Earthly countries and single malignant boys can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/in-the-particular-dwells-the-tawdry-in-the-conceptual-dwells-the/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) ## More by Cynthia Rowley > [My dream was to have a slide bannister so I could slide down and go out the door to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/my-dream-was-to-have-a-slide-bannister-so-i-could-slide-down-and-go/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I think that each season we, as an industry, evolve more and more in such a great way, and I'm really excited about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-think-that-each-season-we-as-an-industry-evolve-more-and-more-in/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [Overhearing people's conversations about art - that's always entertaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/overhearing-people-s-conversations-about-art-that-s-always/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I've always wanted to do something in the food and beverage world. Part of my MO is to go into unchartered territory. I enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-something-in-the-food-and-beverage-world/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [Doing things outside of the traditional fashion gives me the opportunity to bring a fresh eye to unexpected markets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/doing-things-outside-of-the-traditional-fashion-gives-me-the/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I wake up like I'm shot out of a cannon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-wake-up-like-i-m-shot-out-of-a-cannon/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I think for love to work you have to be with someone who you want to talk to before going to bed at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-think-for-love-to-work-you-have-to-be-with-someone-who-you-want-to/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I always think clothing is like a scrapbook: you remember all the good memories and the past times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-always-think-clothing-is-like-a-scrapbook-you-remember-all-the-good/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [Regarding wetsuits, I always liked the Marilyn Minter quote, 'Everything's better when wet,' injecting some style into sports utility,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/regarding-wetsuits-i-always-liked-the-marilyn-minter-quote-everything/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I really detest brunch. I think it's a waste of a good day. Detest is a little too severe, but I would say I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-really-detest-brunch-i-think-it-s-a-waste-of-a-good-day-detest-is-a/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of fantastic people, from royalty to rock stars. I've also been known to be a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-meet-a-lot-of-fantastic-people-from-royalty/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I think cooking has the same creative process as designing, where you have the ingredients, you have the alchemy part of it, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-think-cooking-has-the-same-creative-process-as-designing-where-you/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [ You have to \[go outside your comfort zone\]. Andy Warhol said 'say yes to everything'. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/you-have-to-go-outside-your-comfort-zone-andy-warhol-said-say-yes-to/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [Art has definitely influenced how I think of design, both as individual items and as a body of work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/art-has-definitely-influenced-how-i-think-of-design-both-as/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) > [I think it's important to incorporate everything into all parts of your life. I don't separate all the things - during the day, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-think-it-s-important-to-incorporate-everything-into-all-parts-of/) [Cynthia Rowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) [Explore all 34 Cynthia Rowley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/) ## More Conceptual quotes > [In the particular dwells the tawdry. In the conceptual dwells the grand, the transcendent, the everlasting. Earthly countries and single malignant boys can go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/in-the-particular-dwells-the-tawdry-in-the-conceptual-dwells-the/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [Conceptual relativism is a heady and exotic doctrine, or would be if we could make good sense of it. The trouble is, as so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davidson/conceptual-relativism-is-a-heady-and-exotic-doctrine-or-would-be-if/) [Donald Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davidson/) > [When I was starting out, conceptual photography had become something that had to be amateur - like, that had to be black-and-white, or photocopied,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elad-lassry/when-i-was-starting-out-conceptual-photography-had-become-something/) [Elad Lassry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elad-lassry/) > [I doubt there's any government in the world that guides itself primarily by strategy or conceptual documents or worldview. Anybody who has the reins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/i-doubt-there-s-any-government-in-the-world-that-guides-itself/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world and how we relate to other people. Our conceptual system thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lakoff/our-concepts-structure-what-we-perceive-how-we-get-around-in-the/) [George Lakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lakoff/) > [I've come up through art school, through painting, through graphic design, through advertising, through TV commercials and music video. I've designed books, built billboards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kaye/i-ve-come-up-through-art-school-through-painting-through-graphic/) [Tony Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kaye/) > [I am not really interested in clothing as a conceptual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issey-miyake/i-am-not-really-interested-in-clothing-as-a-conceptual-art-form/) [Issey Miyake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issey-miyake/) > [“World’s religions are conceptual. There are two parts in these concepts! One is auspicious and the other is inauspicious. World’s religions are into (doing)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/world-s-religions-are-conceptual-there-are-two-parts-in-these/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Out of time we cut 'days' and 'nights', 'summers' and 'winters.' We say what, each part of the sensible continuum is, and all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/out-of-time-we-cut-days-and-nights-summers-and-winters-we-say-what/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Our talk of external things, our very notion of things, is just a conceptual apparatus that helps us to foresee and control the triggerings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-van-orman-quine/our-talk-of-external-things-our-very-notion-of-things-is-just-a/) [Willard Van Orman Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-van-orman-quine/) > [I had never thought that I would be involved in narrative structures. As a young guy, I was more interested in abstract modeling. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-braxton/i-had-never-thought-that-i-would-be-involved-in-narrative-structures/) [Anthony Braxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-braxton/) > [Conceptual art became the liberating idea that gave the art of the next 40 years its real impetus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-lewitt/conceptual-art-became-the-liberating-idea-that-gave-the-art-of-the/) [Sol LeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-lewitt/) > [Music bypasses the conceptual mind. Music does not give you food for thought...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/music-bypasses-the-conceptual-mind-music-does-not-give-you-food-for/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [What makes something simple or complex? It's not the number of dials or controls or how many features it has: It is whether the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/what-makes-something-simple-or-complex-it-s-not-the-number-of-dials/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [I just happened to start playing music for the conceptual ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-gordon/i-just-happened-to-start-playing-music-for-the-conceptual-ideas/) [Kim Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-gordon/) Browse all 118 Conceptual quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cynthia Rowley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conceptual-standpoint/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conceptual" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conceptual-standpoint/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/cynthia-rowley-18767_conceptual_i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conc_2389588.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/cynthia-rowley-18767_conceptual_i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conc_2389588.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/cynthia-rowley-18767_conceptual_i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conc_2389588.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I try to look at design from a more conceptual standpoint.” — Cynthia Rowley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cynthia Rowley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-rowley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I try to look at design...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conceptual-standpoint/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-rowley/i-try-to-look-at-design-from-a-more-conceptual-standpoint/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```