--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a carpenter makes a chair that's…" description: "\"If a carpenter makes a chair that's comfortable for the person who's going to sit in it, he's done his job. If a train engineer gets a train in on time..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/jack-kirby-4317_art_if-a-carpenter-makes-a-chair-that-s-comf_2792224.jpg" --- # If a carpenter makes a chair that's comfortable for the… ![“If a carpenter makes a chair that's comfortable for the person who's going to sit in it, he's done his job. If a train engineer gets a train in on time, he's going to make someone happy who's waiting at the station. And if an artist draws the kind of a picture that people are going to enjoy…” quote by Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/jack-kirby-4317_art_if-a-carpenter-makes-a-chair-that-s-comf_2792224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/jack-kirby-4317_art_if-a-carpenter-makes-a-chair-that-s-comf_2792224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/jack-kirby-4317_art_if-a-carpenter-makes-a-chair-that-s-comf_2792224.jpg) > “If a carpenter makes a chair that's comfortable for the person who's going to sit in it, he's done his job. If a train engineer gets a train in on time, he's going to make someone happy who's waiting at the station. And if an artist draws the kind of a picture that people are going to enjoy looking at, or he makes a visual story which people are going to enjoy reading, he's done his job.” [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating work that meets the audience’s needs defines success in any craft. **In simple terms:** Meeting audience needs defines success. Key Takeaway Focus on user experience. Themes craft audience success service Mood pragmatic reflective Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - product design - software development - visual arts - performance - customer service Key Concepts design empathy functionality Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance user needs with personal expression? - When is it okay to prioritize function over form? A Different Perspective Neglecting personal artistic vision can limit innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenter/) [Carpenter Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenter-makes-3387216/) [Chairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chairs/) [Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Engineer Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineer-gets-3387217/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Enjoy reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy-reading/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Make someone happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-someone-happy/) [Makes Chair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes-chair-3387215/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Stations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stations/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Train](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train/) [Train Engineer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/train-engineer-3369770/) [Visuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visuals/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [A good engineer gets stale very fast if he doesn't keep his hands dirty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wernher-von-braun/a-good-engineer-gets-stale-very-fast-if-he-doesn-t-keep-his-hands/) [Wernher von Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wernher-von-braun/) > [Everybody is headed for the same place, and they are headed on the same train, and under the same engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/everybody-is-headed-for-the-same-place-and-they-are-headed-on-the/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [If you're trying to make someone happy, you gotta try and make them happy. If you're trying to have a normal conversation, you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-hill/if-you-re-trying-to-make-someone-happy-you-gotta-try-and-make-them-2/) [Jonah Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-hill/) > [“I can't force your lips to smile, but I can show them how easily mine do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/i-can-t-force-your-lips-to-smile-but-i-can-show-them-how-easily-mine/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-have-the-power-to-make-someone-happy-do-it-the-world-needs/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [If you're trying to make someone happy, you gotta try and make them happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-hill/if-you-re-trying-to-make-someone-happy-you-gotta-try-and-make-them/) [Jonah Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-hill/) > [Always have the highest bar for yourself. Wake up everyday and no matter how crappy you feel, want to change something for the better.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/always-have-the-highest-bar-for-yourself-wake-up-everyday-and-no/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [So smile when you read a headline that says "Investors lose as market falls." Edit it in your mind to "Disinvestors lose as market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/so-smile-when-you-read-a-headline-that-says-investors-lose-as-market/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [“You're right; you can't make someone be happy. But I don't see the harm in trying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/you-re-right-you-can-t-make-someone-be-happy-but-i-don-t-see-the-harm/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Make someone happy, Make just one someone happy, And you will be happy, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-durante/make-someone-happy-make-just-one-someone-happy-and-you-will-be-happy/) [Jimmy Durante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-durante/) > [When someone loves you, and when you make someone happy, you suddenly start to feel the most beautiful person in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/when-someone-loves-you-and-when-you-make-someone-happy-you-suddenly/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [I wasn't inspired so much by a person as by reading many good books. I loved to write and I wondered if I might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peg-kehret/i-wasn-t-inspired-so-much-by-a-person-as-by-reading-many-good-books-i/) [Peg Kehret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peg-kehret/) > [I enjoy reading tips about how to be more organized, and I rarely implement them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/i-enjoy-reading-tips-about-how-to-be-more-organized-and-i-rarely/) [Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/) > [“If you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them, then I am happy. Its got nothing to do with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-rimmer/if-you-enjoy-reading-my-books-as-much-as-i-enjoy-writing-them-then-i/) [Peter Rimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-rimmer/) > [I've always been drawn to dark stories. I enjoy reading Flannery O'Connor, Patricia Highsmith, and Margaret Mitchell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-dark-stories-i-enjoy-reading-flannery-o/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) ## More by Jack Kirby > [All human beings have the capability of doing what they want, what they're attracted to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/all-human-beings-have-the-capability-of-doing-what-they-want-what/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I always resent anybody interfering with anybody else trying to do his job. Everybody has his own job to do. If he's good, he'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-always-resent-anybody-interfering-with-anybody-else-trying-to-do/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I get a lot of comics, and I can look at a comic and tell immediately whether I'll enjoy it or not. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-get-a-lot-of-comics-and-i-can-look-at-a-comic-and-tell-immediately/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [If you're a thorough professional, and they won't let you do a professional job, nobody's going to benefit from it. The people who produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/if-you-re-a-thorough-professional-and-they-won-t-let-you-do-a/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [Nobody ever asked me to do anything. Nobody knew what to do. When comics were brand new, nobody knew what kind of comics to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/nobody-ever-asked-me-to-do-anything-nobody-knew-what-to-do-when/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I've done things that I wouldn't ordinarily seem capable of doing. And I've proven myself in situations where there's life and death at stake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-ve-done-things-that-i-wouldn-t-ordinarily-seem-capable-of-doing-and/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [Some of my friends became gangsters. You became a gangster depending upon how fast you wanted a suit. Gangsters weren't the stereotypes you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/some-of-my-friends-became-gangsters-you-became-a-gangster-depending/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [A man is entitled to draw things in his own style. I didn't hurt Superman. I made him powerful. I admire Superman, but I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/a-man-is-entitled-to-draw-things-in-his-own-style-i-didn-t-hurt/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I'm a guy who had to perform some way. I had to perform in some way. If not as an actor, I'd perform as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-m-a-guy-who-had-to-perform-some-way-i-had-to-perform-in-some-way-if/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I taught myself how to draw, and I soon found out it was what I really wanted to do. I didn't think I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-taught-myself-how-to-draw-and-i-soon-found-out-it-was-what-i-really/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I've never done anything half-heartedly; it's a disservice to me and the audience if I do it half-heartedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-ve-never-done-anything-half-heartedly-it-s-a-disservice-to-me-and/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [My purpose was what my father's purpose was - to make a living and to have a family. I was going to do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/my-purpose-was-what-my-father-s-purpose-was-to-make-a-living-and-to/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I hated to fight all the time just to enjoy my day. Fighting wasn't the kind of thing that I enjoyed, but I grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-hated-to-fight-all-the-time-just-to-enjoy-my-day-fighting-wasn-t/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [Kid ... Comics will break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/kid-comics-will-break-your-heart/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [All life on Earth is subject to the rumbles and rockings of the parent stucture which has no control over the disastrous effects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/all-life-on-earth-is-subject-to-the-rumbles-and-rockings-of-the/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) [Explore all 112 Jack Kirby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [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/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a carpenter makes a chair that's comfortable for the person who's going to sit in it, he's done his job. 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