--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If people keep buying poorly designed…" description: "\"If people keep buying poorly designed products, manufacturers and designers will think they are doing the right thing and continue as usual.\" — Donald ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/donald-a-norman-6862_buying_if-people-keep-buying-poorly-designed-pr_2775637.jpg" --- # If people keep buying poorly designed products… ![“If people keep buying poorly designed products, manufacturers and designers will think they are doing the right thing and continue as usual.” quote by Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/donald-a-norman-6862_buying_if-people-keep-buying-poorly-designed-pr_2775637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/donald-a-norman-6862_buying_if-people-keep-buying-poorly-designed-pr_2775637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8e/donald-a-norman-6862_buying_if-people-keep-buying-poorly-designed-pr_2775637.jpg) > “If people keep buying poorly designed products, manufacturers and designers will think they are doing the right thing and continue as usual.” [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. Poor product design persists when consumers accept it, reinforcing bad practices. **In simple terms:** Bad design continues if users tolerate it. Key Takeaway Demand better design and give feedback. Themes design consumer behavior quality responsibility Mood critical empowering Type educational practical When to use this quote - product reviews - user testing - design workshops Key Concepts human‑centered design psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can you spot design flaws? - What steps push manufacturers toward improvement? A Different Perspective Changing habits is hard for users. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) [Doing the right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-the-right-thing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [It's a very, very tough market. 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My father was in the fabric industry, and even my grandfather and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-bendet/i-don-t-have-a-traditional-design-background-but-it-s-inherent-to-me/) [Stacey Bendet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-bendet/) > [“the ongoing shift of product-development activities from manufacturers to users is painful and difficult for many manufacturers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/the-ongoing-shift-of-product-development-activities-from/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [Manufacturers...gradually shift their places, leaving those countries and provinces which they have already enriched, and flying to others, whether they are allured by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/manufacturers-gradually-shift-their-places-leaving-those-countries/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [In the hands of food manufacturers, cheese has become an 'ingredient.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moss/in-the-hands-of-food-manufacturers-cheese-has-become-an-ingredient/) [Michael Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moss/) ## 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? 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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 Buying quotes > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [Look at music for what it's worth around the world and not just America. 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