--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Designers know too much about their…" description: "\"“Designers know too much about their product to be objective judges: the features they have come to love and prefer may not be understood or preferred ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/donald-a-norman-6862_designers_designers-know-too-much-about-their-prod_815129.jpg" --- # Designers know too much about their product to be… ![“Designers know too much about their product to be objective judges: the features they have come to love and prefer may not be understood or preferred by the future customers.” quote by Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/donald-a-norman-6862_designers_designers-know-too-much-about-their-prod_815129.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/donald-a-norman-6862_designers_designers-know-too-much-about-their-prod_815129.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/donald-a-norman-6862_designers_designers-know-too-much-about-their-prod_815129.jpg) > ““Designers know too much about their product to be objective judges: the features they have come to love and prefer may not be understood or preferred by the future customers.”” [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Designers' personal bias can cloud judgment, making future customers' preferences unclear. **In simple terms:** Design bias hinders objectivity. Key Takeaway Seek unbiased user research. Themes design bias user experience Mood practical inquisitive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - product development - UX testing - marketing strategy Key Concepts subjectivity future market empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can teams balance designer insight with user needs? - What methods reduce bias? A Different Perspective May discount expertise of designers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Designers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designers/) ## Related quotes > [I always look at Style.com and look at all the designers and I know all the model's names.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-fanning/i-always-look-at-style-com-and-look-at-all-the-designers-and-i-know/) [Elle Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-fanning/) > [I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/i-care-desperately-about-what-i-do-do-i-know-what-product-i-m-selling/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [“Consumers don’t want to know about the process of how something came into existence. What they want to know is: How will this product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/consumers-don-t-want-to-know-about-the-process-of-how-something-came/) [Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/) > [I do like to buy my own clothes because I like to support designers. I know the work that goes into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-holmes/i-do-like-to-buy-my-own-clothes-because-i-like-to-support-designers-i/) [Katie Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-holmes/) > [I don't really pay too much attention to designers, I know what I like and I just try to find it, and I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-cosentino/i-don-t-really-pay-too-much-attention-to-designers-i-know-what-i-like/) [Bethany Cosentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-cosentino/) > [Designers may be the true intellectuals of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paola-antonelli/designers-may-be-the-true-intellectuals-of-the-future/) [Paola Antonelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paola-antonelli/) > [I've always been a clothes horse, and I spend a lot of money on designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-horne/i-ve-always-been-a-clothes-horse-and-i-spend-a-lot-of-money-on/) [Mathew Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-horne/) > [I'm always telling young designers to take the time to surround themselves with women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azzedine-alaia/i-m-always-telling-young-designers-to-take-the-time-to-surround/) [Azzedine Alaia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azzedine-alaia/) > [People always think that designers hate each other. And we're certainly a competitive lot, but we also enjoy each other's company. No one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/people-always-think-that-designers-hate-each-other-and-we-re/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [Design is too important to be left to designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-loewy/design-is-too-important-to-be-left-to-designers/) [Raymond Loewy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-loewy/) > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [Design is all about relationships. Unfortunately, many designers don’t fully appreciate this. Some of the best design work I’ve ever done was drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-burka/design-is-all-about-relationships-unfortunately-many-designers-don-t/) Daniel Burka > [My favourite designers always create a strong silhouette, like McQueen and Tom Ford and Alaia. I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [I think it's a great thing to support fashion and support designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delphine-arnault/i-think-it-s-a-great-thing-to-support-fashion-and-support-designers/) [Delphine Arnault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delphine-arnault/) > [Users are not designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/users-are-not-designers/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) ## More by Donald A. Norman > [“key to winning the race is not to compete against machines but to compete with machines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/key-to-winning-the-race-is-not-to-compete-against-machines-but-to/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [ Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. \[...\] The advent of hypertext is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of-organization-allowing-ideas/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [We delude ourselves if we believe that skilled behavior is easy, that it can come about without effort. We forget the years of tuning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/we-delude-ourselves-if-we-believe-that-skilled-behavior-is-easy-that/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“Could we ever switch to this or any of the many other rational systems? Unlikely: tradition is difficult to overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/could-we-ever-switch-to-this-or-any-of-the-many-other-rational/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [People Propose, Science Studies, Technology Conforms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/people-propose-science-studies-technology-conforms/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“If designers and researchers do not sometimes fail, it is a sign that they are not trying hard enough—they are not thinking the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/if-designers-and-researchers-do-not-sometimes-fail-it-is-a-sign-that/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [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/) > [Only the most sophisticated of beings can lie and cheat, and get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/only-the-most-sophisticated-of-beings-can-lie-and-cheat-and-get-away/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Any time you see signs or labels added to a device, it is an indication of bad design: a simple lock should not require…](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/) > [Good design is also an act of communication between the designer and the user, except that all the communication has to come about by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/good-design-is-also-an-act-of-communication-between-the-designer-and/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“We need to remove the word failure from our vocabulary, replacing it instead with learning experience. To fail is to learn: we learn more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/we-need-to-remove-the-word-failure-from-our-vocabulary-replacing-it/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [When I use a direct manipulation system whether for text editing, drawing pictures, or creating and playing games I do think of myself not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/when-i-use-a-direct-manipulation-system-whether-for-text-editing/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [“Radical innovation is what many people seek, for it is the big, spectacular form of change. But most radical ideas fail, and even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/radical-innovation-is-what-many-people-seek-for-it-is-the-big/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Technology usually provides a series of tradeoffs. Each asset is offset by a deficit...A major problem occurs when those who suffer from technology's defecits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/technology-usually-provides-a-series-of-tradeoffs-each-asset-is/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Simplification is as much in the mind as it is in the device.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/simplification-is-as-much-in-the-mind-as-it-is-in-the-device/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) [Explore all 97 Donald A. Norman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) ## More Designers quotes > [Users are not designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/users-are-not-designers/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [I think it's a great thing to support fashion and support designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delphine-arnault/i-think-it-s-a-great-thing-to-support-fashion-and-support-designers/) [Delphine Arnault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delphine-arnault/) > [My favourite designers always create a strong silhouette, like McQueen and Tom Ford and Alaia. I like structured things that you can throw on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/my-favourite-designers-always-create-a-strong-silhouette-like-mcqueen/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [Design is all about relationships. Unfortunately, many designers don’t fully appreciate this. Some of the best design work I’ve ever done was drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-burka/design-is-all-about-relationships-unfortunately-many-designers-don-t/) Daniel Burka > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [Design is too important to be left to designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-loewy/design-is-too-important-to-be-left-to-designers/) [Raymond Loewy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-loewy/) > [People always think that designers hate each other. And we're certainly a competitive lot, but we also enjoy each other's company. No one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/people-always-think-that-designers-hate-each-other-and-we-re/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [I'm always telling young designers to take the time to surround themselves with women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azzedine-alaia/i-m-always-telling-young-designers-to-take-the-time-to-surround/) [Azzedine Alaia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azzedine-alaia/) > [I've always been a clothes horse, and I spend a lot of money on designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-horne/i-ve-always-been-a-clothes-horse-and-i-spend-a-lot-of-money-on/) [Mathew Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-horne/) > [Designers may be the true intellectuals of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paola-antonelli/designers-may-be-the-true-intellectuals-of-the-future/) [Paola Antonelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paola-antonelli/) > [You don't need money to look fabulous. There are so many awesome new designers, so many designers doing collections for mass retailers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-london/you-don-t-need-money-to-look-fabulous-there-are-so-many-awesome-new/) [Stacy London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-london/) > [Couture has copied my things for years, in addition to countless other costume designers, claiming theirs were the original ideas. It's all part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/couture-has-copied-my-things-for-years-in-addition-to-countless-other/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [We designers have been working to stimulate people's souls and minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoto-fukasawa/we-designers-have-been-working-to-stimulate-people-s-souls-and-minds/) [Naoto Fukasawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoto-fukasawa/) > [People always think that designers hate each other. And we're certainly a competitive lot, but we also enjoy each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/people-always-think-that-designers-hate-each-other-and-we-re-2/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [I'm always interested in collaborating with designers. I love Gaultier. I know that's kind of a high hope!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-love/i-m-always-interested-in-collaborating-with-designers-i-love-gaultier/) [Pamela Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-love/) [Browse all 386 Designers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Designers know too much about their product to be objective judges: the features they have come to love and prefer may not be understood or preferred by the future customers.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald A. 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