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Architecture Quote by Herbert Simon

“Engineering, medicine, business, architecture and painting are concerned not with the necessary but with the contingent - not with how things are but with how they might be - in short, with design.” quote by Herbert Simon
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“Engineering, medicine, business, architecture and painting are concerned not with the necessary but with the contingent - not with how things are but with how they might be - in short, with design.”

Herbert Simon

About This Quote

Design focuses on possibilities and choices rather than fixed necessities, shaping how things could be rather than how they are.

In simple terms: Design explores alternatives over absolutes.

Key Takeaway

Design is about shaping potential.

Themes

creativity problem-solving future-thinking interdisciplinary innovation

Mood

inspired curious optimistic

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

  • product development
  • urban planning
  • software architecture
  • strategic business planning
  • artistic composition

Key Concepts

contingency possibility choice

Practical Applications

  • generating novel solutions
  • guiding strategic decisions

Questions to Reflect On

  • What constraints limit our design choices?
  • How can we balance necessity with possibility?
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