---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To me, 'design thinking' is another way…"
description: "\"To me, 'design thinking' is another way of saying empathize with the customer. It's consideration for the person you're designing for.\" — Joe Gebbia"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/joe-gebbia-7830_customer_to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of_2617819.jpg"
---

#  To me, 'design thinking' is another way of saying…

![“To me, 'design thinking' is another way of saying empathize with the customer. It's consideration for the person you're designing for.” quote by Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/joe-gebbia-7830_customer_to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of_2617819.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/joe-gebbia-7830_customer_to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of_2617819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/joe-gebbia-7830_customer_to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of_2617819.jpg)

> “To me, 'design thinking' is another way of saying empathize with the customer. It's consideration for the person you're designing for.”

[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 thinking centers on understanding users deeply, putting their needs and feelings first in the creation process.

**In simple terms:** Focus on user empathy in design.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize empathy before solving problems.

Themes

empathy user‑centered design innovation

Mood

thoughtful inspired

Type

practical insightful

When to use this quote

- product development
- service design
- UX research
- marketing strategy

Key Concepts

human‑centered design design thinking methodology

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance empathy with feasibility?
- What methods reveal hidden user needs?

A Different Perspective

Empathy alone may not address technical constraints or business viability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [Instead of telling a story about how great your brand is, try telling a story that shows you completely understand and empathize with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-howes/instead-of-telling-a-story-about-how-great-your-brand-is-try-telling/)

[Lewis Howes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-howes/)

> [“The natural evolution from design doing to design thinking reflects the growing recognition on the part of today’s business leaders that design has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-brown/the-natural-evolution-from-design-doing-to-design-thinking-reflects/)

[Tim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-brown/)

> [I enjoy trying to inspire myself. I enjoy the artistic side of everything. Music, art, fashion, everything. I just like to be on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirkpatrick/i-enjoy-trying-to-inspire-myself-i-enjoy-the-artistic-side-of/)

[Chris Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kirkpatrick/)

> [Designing is my hobby. If I didn't do what I do for a living - at some point when I don't do this for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/designing-is-my-hobby-if-i-didn-t-do-what-i-do-for-a-living-at-some/)

[Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/)

> [I always loved designing, but the context needs to be right, and have a positive perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedi-slimane/i-always-loved-designing-but-the-context-needs-to-be-right-and-have-a/)

[Hedi Slimane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedi-slimane/)

> [To design things means to interfere with things: to think of how they might be and to alter how they are. Design is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bringhurst/to-design-things-means-to-interfere-with-things-to-think-of-how-they/)

[Robert Bringhurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bringhurst/)

> [My personal fascination with the power of the crowd has been growing: Exactly what can a 'crowd' accomplish? We know crowds can raise billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/my-personal-fascination-with-the-power-of-the-crowd-has-been-growing/)

[Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/)

> [“Freelancing and Creativity In Freelancing, doing a job in different ways is called creativity. The importance of creativity is immense among all that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhairab-it-zone/freelancing-and-creativity-in-freelancing-doing-a-job-in-different/)

[Bhairab IT Zone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhairab-it-zone/)

> [I want to do television, film, music and designing. I want to do it all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanel-iman/i-want-to-do-television-film-music-and-designing-i-want-to-do-it-all/)

[Chanel Iman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanel-iman/)

> [Whatever the trend might be, I'm thinking of the Woman for whom I'm designing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-weitzman/whatever-the-trend-might-be-i-m-thinking-of-the-woman-for-whom-i-m/)

Stuart Weitzman

> [When I'm designing I try to think about what I like to see on other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/when-i-m-designing-i-try-to-think-about-what-i-like-to-see-on-other/)

[Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/)

> [Styling is designing for obsolescence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-guinness/styling-is-designing-for-obsolescence/)

[Alec Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-guinness/)

> [“An organization that commits itself to the human-centered tenets of design thinking is practicing enlightened self-interest. If it does a better job of understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-brown/an-organization-that-commits-itself-to-the-human-centered-tenets-of/)

[Tim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-brown/)

> [“Design doesn’t just work for creating cool stuff like computers and Ferraris; it works in creating a cool life. You can use design thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/design-doesn-t-just-work-for-creating-cool-stuff-like-computers-and/)

[Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/)

> [At Stanford, we teach 'design thinking' - that is, we put together small, interdisciplinary groups to figure out what the true needs are and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasso-plattner/at-stanford-we-teach-design-thinking-that-is-we-put-together-small/)

[Hasso Plattner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasso-plattner/)

## 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 Customer quotes

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/)

Michael Fishman

> [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/)

[Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/)

> [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/)

[Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/)

> [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/)

[Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/)

> [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/)

[Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/)

> [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/)

[Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/)

> [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/)

[Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/)

> [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/)

[Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/)

> [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

[Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To me, 'design thinking' is another way of saying empathize with the customer. It's consideration for the person you're designing for.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joe Gebbia"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of-saying-empathize-with-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Customer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of-saying-empathize-with-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/joe-gebbia-7830_customer_to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of_2617819.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/joe-gebbia-7830_customer_to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of_2617819.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/joe-gebbia-7830_customer_to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of_2617819.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To me, 'design thinking' is another way of saying empathize with the customer. It's consideration for the…” — 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": "To me, 'design thinking' is another...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of-saying-empathize-with-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/to-me-design-thinking-is-another-way-of-saying-empathize-with-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
