--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Design has always been a driving force in…" description: "\"Design has always been a driving force in my life: it's the lens through which I experience the world.\" — Joe Gebbia" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/joe-gebbia-7830_design_design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-i_2309485.jpg" --- # Design has always been a driving force in my life: it's… ![“Design has always been a driving force in my life: it's the lens through which I experience the world.” quote by Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/joe-gebbia-7830_design_design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-i_2309485.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/joe-gebbia-7830_design_design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-i_2309485.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/joe-gebbia-7830_design_design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-i_2309485.jpg) > “Design has always been a driving force in my life: it's the lens through which I experience the world.” [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design shapes perception, turning everyday experience into intentional insight and action **In simple terms:** Design influences how we see and interact with everything Key Takeaway Use design as a lens to interpret and improve life Themes creativity perception innovation Mood inspired reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - product development - personal growth - education - marketing Key Concepts Design thinking human‑centered design Questions to Reflect On - How does design change your worldview? - When did design reveal something hidden? A Different Perspective Design can be limited by resources or bias ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Driving force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driving-force/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [If we are able to look at life not with our lens, but with God's lens we will soon realize everything has a purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-are-able-to-look-at-life-not-with-our-lens-but-with-god-s-lens/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always been shy and that's partly why I chose a life behind the lens. I like people to look at my work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-weber/i-ve-always-been-shy-and-that-s-partly-why-i-chose-a-life-behind-the/) [Bruce Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-weber/) > [Man's experience in the world is to enable him to get out of its whirlpool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/man-s-experience-in-the-world-is-to-enable-him-to-get-out-of-its/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [The level of consciousness you choose to tune in to each moment of each day will determine the quality of your experience of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-level-of-consciousness-you-choose-to-tune-in-to-each-moment-of/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“Get out of our heads and learn to experience the world directly, experientially, without the relentless commentary of our thoughts. We might just open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-mark-g-williams/get-out-of-our-heads-and-learn-to-experience-the-world-directly/) [J. Mark G. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-mark-g-williams/) > [I grew up abroad, so I would love to have my child grow up the same way and experience the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-judd/i-grew-up-abroad-so-i-would-love-to-have-my-child-grow-up-the-same/) [Cris Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-judd/) > [“Our beliefs determine how we experience the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glennon-doyle/our-beliefs-determine-how-we-experience-the-world/) [Glennon Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glennon-doyle/) > [“Experience the world, then theorize it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-maier/experience-the-world-then-theorize-it/) Josef Maier > [There is no question that the objects that surround us impact our experience of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-center/there-is-no-question-that-the-objects-that-surround-us-impact-our/) [Katherine Center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-center/) > [If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-i-find-in-myself-a-desire-which-no-experience-in-this-world-can/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Just hanging around the house is deadly--get out and experience the world together; do things you've never done before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/just-hanging-around-the-house-is-deadly-get-out-and-experience-the/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [The way we experience the world around us is a direct reflection of the world within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-way-we-experience-the-world-around-us-is-a-direct-reflection-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can have all the experience in the world and come out and not play well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hogan/you-can-have-all-the-experience-in-the-world-and-come-out-and-not/) [Chris Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hogan/) > [“I want to experience the world. How can I be sure if my place on earth is supposed to be here or there, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-williams/i-want-to-experience-the-world-how-can-i-be-sure-if-my-place-on-earth/) Simon Williams > [“Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way that they have been told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keightley/once-in-a-while-it-really-hits-people-that-they-don-t-have-to/) [Alan Keightley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keightley/) ## More by Joe Gebbia > [We're a community-driven brand, but at the same time, we want every host in every home to recognize that they're all individuals, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/we-re-a-community-driven-brand-but-at-the-same-time-we-want-every/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [Airbnb was born out of necessarity. Our rent went up. It was born out of a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/airbnb-was-born-out-of-necessarity-our-rent-went-up-it-was-born-out/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [There's no reason any company should be limited by its physical environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/there-s-no-reason-any-company-should-be-limited-by-its-physical/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [We expect Seoul to be one of our most important markets not only in Asia but around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/we-expect-seoul-to-be-one-of-our-most-important-markets-not-only-in/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [What we're doing with Airbnb feels like the nexus of everything that is right. We're helping people be more resourceful with the space they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/what-we-re-doing-with-airbnb-feels-like-the-nexus-of-everything-that/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [When the car was introduced in 1908, people could experience a brand new way to travel that was more efficient than a horse and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/when-the-car-was-introduced-in-1908-people-could-experience-a-brand/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [When we go city by city, country by country, the majority of our hosts, our owners, are simply renting out their spare bedroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/when-we-go-city-by-city-country-by-country-the-majority-of-our-hosts/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [Given Miami's unique role in Airbnb's roots, I'm particularly proud of how South Floridians have embraced home sharing as an opportunity to earn supplemental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/given-miami-s-unique-role-in-airbnb-s-roots-i-m-particularly-proud-of/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [The fear of mistakes is the fast track to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/the-fear-of-mistakes-is-the-fast-track-to-irrelevance/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [Starting a company in San Francisco when we did usually meant it was destined to be a data-driven tech company. But that didn't seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/starting-a-company-in-san-francisco-when-we-did-usually-meant-it-was/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [In the post-war United States, you had this race to the suburbs. Cities shrank, the suburbs got bigger - and the notion of community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/in-the-post-war-united-states-you-had-this-race-to-the-suburbs-cities/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [Scheduled shipping is one of many inventions that has made New York a global capital of innovation and creativity - from Willis Carrier's invention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/scheduled-shipping-is-one-of-many-inventions-that-has-made-new-york-a/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [I often stay in Tokyo's Daikanyama neighbourhood. You can go for a peaceful morning run along the Meguro river, and it is particularly incredible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/i-often-stay-in-tokyo-s-daikanyama-neighbourhood-you-can-go-for-a/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [Ultimately, the power of the Airbnb platform is that it motivates guests to blend into communities, belong anywhere, and live like locals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/ultimately-the-power-of-the-airbnb-platform-is-that-it-motivates/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [As our company has grown, how we configure and design our offices has been a crucial part of how we foster connection and collaboration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/as-our-company-has-grown-how-we-configure-and-design-our-offices-has/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) [Explore all 87 Joe Gebbia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) ## More Design quotes > [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/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) Giambattista Bodoni > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [The market may never coalesce around one basic design, or even around two or three dominant devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/the-market-may-never-coalesce-around-one-basic-design-or-even-around/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) Jen-Hsun Huang > [Design is not making beauty, beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration, love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/design-is-not-making-beauty-beauty-emerges-from-selection-affinities/) [Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/) > [The beauty of New York is unintentional; it arose independent of human design, like a stalagmite cavern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-beauty-of-new-york-is-unintentional-it-arose-independent-of-human/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [I design some of my own clothes now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiernan-shipka/i-design-some-of-my-own-clothes-now/) [Kiernan Shipka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiernan-shipka/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [Design is a very personal thing. It's like art. Your personal choice plays a big role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gauri-khan/design-is-a-very-personal-thing-it-s-like-art-your-personal-choice/) [Gauri Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gauri-khan/) > [“Designing posters, for me, is not only a commercial pursuit but also a philosophical endeavor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fang-chen/designing-posters-for-me-is-not-only-a-commercial-pursuit-but-also-a/) Fang Chen > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) > [Users are not designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/users-are-not-designers/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works, but each one launches another. Every constraint, even dullness, frees up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-powers/i-write-the-way-you-might-arrange-flowers-not-every-try-works-but/) [Richard Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-powers/) [Browse all 5,563 Design quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Design has always been a driving force in my life: it's the lens through which I experience the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Gebbia" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-in-my-life-it-s-the-lens/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Design" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-in-my-life-it-s-the-lens/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/joe-gebbia-7830_design_design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-i_2309485.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/joe-gebbia-7830_design_design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-i_2309485.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/joe-gebbia-7830_design_design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-i_2309485.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Design has always been a driving force in my life: it's the lens through which I experience the world.” — Joe Gebbia", "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": "Joe Gebbia", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Design has always been a driving...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-in-my-life-it-s-the-lens/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/design-has-always-been-a-driving-force-in-my-life-it-s-the-lens/#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 } } ] } ```