--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Design is a funny word. Some people think…" description: "\"“Design is a funny word. Some people think Design means how it looks. But, of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. —Steve Jobs”\" — John..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/john-morgan-61026_design_design-is-a-funny-word-some-people-think_2541134.jpg" --- # Design is a funny word. Some people think Design means how… ![“Design is a funny word. Some people think Design means how it looks. But, of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. —Steve Jobs” quote by John Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/john-morgan-61026_design_design-is-a-funny-word-some-people-think_2541134.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/john-morgan-61026_design_design-is-a-funny-word-some-people-think_2541134.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/988/john-morgan-61026_design_design-is-a-funny-word-some-people-think_2541134.jpg) > ““Design is a funny word. Some people think Design means how it looks. But, of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. —Steve Jobs”” [John Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morgan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design is often misunderstood as mere aesthetics, but its true essence lies in functionality. **In simple terms:** Design is about how it works, not just looks. Key Takeaway Prioritize function over form. Themes design functionality perception Mood thoughtful instructive Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - product development - architecture - branding - visual arts Key Concepts industrial design user experience Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance form and function? - What design examples illustrate this? A Different Perspective Aesthetic appeal still matters for user engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-funny-1435088/) [Design Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-means-927685/) [Dig deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dig-deep/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means/) [Means Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-looks-1435089/) [Steve Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steve-job/) [Think Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-design-306534/) ## Related quotes > [Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it's really how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/design-is-a-funny-word-some-people-think-design-means-how-it-looks/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I think design means, for me, almost when man, back in time, decided to do something conscious. You know... to shape something and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-parker/i-think-design-means-for-me-almost-when-man-back-in-time-decided-to/) [Cornelia Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-parker/) > [“Design means how something works, not how it looks – the design should evolve from the function. —James Dyson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morgan/design-means-how-something-works-not-how-it-looks-the-design-should/) [John Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morgan/) > [Game design is a funny thing. There are people out there who are really good at it, but it's not clear that they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-von-ahn/game-design-is-a-funny-thing-there-are-people-out-there-who-are/) [Luis von Ahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-von-ahn/) > [“It means that he looks like my boyfriend, but I don’t say it out loud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/it-means-that-he-looks-like-my-boyfriend-but-i-don-t-say-it-out-loud/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Good design means as little design as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-rams/good-design-means-as-little-design-as-possible/) [Dieter Rams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-rams/) > [User-centered design means understanding what your users need, how they think, and how they behave - and incorporating that understanding into every aspect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-james-garrett/user-centered-design-means-understanding-what-your-users-need-how/) [Jesse James Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-james-garrett/) > [“In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/in-most-people-s-vocabularies-design-means-veneer-it-s-interior-2/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [to design means forcing ourselves to unlearn what we believe we already know, patiently to take apart the mechanisms behind our reflexes and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/to-design-means-forcing-ourselves-to-unlearn-what-we-believe-we/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Design means being good, not just looking good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-mok/design-means-being-good-not-just-looking-good/) [Clement Mok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-mok/) > [In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/in-most-people-s-vocabularies-design-means-veneer-it-s-interior/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Design, in its broadest sense, is the enabler of the digital era - it's a process that creates order out of chaos, that renders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clement-mok/design-in-its-broadest-sense-is-the-enabler-of-the-digital-era-it-s-a/) [Clement Mok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clement-mok/) > [We don't have a good language to talk about this kind of thing. In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer... But to me, nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/we-don-t-have-a-good-language-to-talk-about-this-kind-of-thing-in/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [In the broad sense design means thinking about what the function or purpose of things or processes are, and translating that into action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/in-the-broad-sense-design-means-thinking-about-what-the-function-or/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Think about the market, think about the design, and think about who is going to design for that market. Hit the mark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/think-about-the-market-think-about-the-design-and-think-about-who-is/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) ## More by John Morgan > [“Design means how something works, not how it looks – the design should evolve from the function. —James Dyson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morgan/design-means-how-something-works-not-how-it-looks-the-design-should/) [John Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morgan/) > [“The future of branding is marketing with people, not at them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morgan/the-future-of-branding-is-marketing-with-people-not-at-them/) [John Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morgan/) > [“Too many businesses compete on price when they should be competing on value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morgan/too-many-businesses-compete-on-price-when-they-should-be-competing-on/) [John Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morgan/) > [“What you do may not be unique, but you are. This is why putting your personality into your brand is so important. You're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-morgan/what-you-do-may-not-be-unique-but-you-are-this-is-why-putting-your/) [John Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morgan/) [Explore all 5 John Morgan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-morgan/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 is a funny word. Some people think Design means how it looks. 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