--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a designer, I'm an inventor." description: "\"I'm not a designer, I'm an inventor.\" — Kenneth Jay Lane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/kenneth-jay-lane-53278_designer_i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor-17055_1705591.jpg" --- # I'm not a designer, I'm an inventor. ![“I'm not a designer, I'm an inventor.” quote by Kenneth Jay Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/kenneth-jay-lane-53278_designer_i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor-17055_1705591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/kenneth-jay-lane-53278_designer_i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor-17055_1705591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/kenneth-jay-lane-53278_designer_i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor-17055_1705591.jpg) > “I'm not a designer, I'm an inventor.” [Kenneth Jay Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/) ## 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 a subset of invention; creating new forms requires inventive thinking beyond aesthetics. **In simple terms:** Design equals invention. Key Takeaway Invent, don’t just design. Themes innovation creativity design Mood inspirational pragmatic Type business creative When to use this quote - Product development - fashion design - entrepreneurship Key Concepts Invention Aesthetic function Problem solving Questions to Reflect On - How can you merge function with form? - What inventions could improve design? A Different Perspective Design constraints may limit invention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fashion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fashion/) [Inventor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inventor/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think generally speaking, there are a lot of innovators and inventors. Many of the designers take what exists already and update it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/i-don-t-think-generally-speaking-there-are-a-lot-of-innovators-and/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [No one is an inventor in the fashion business. Designers recreate fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/no-one-is-an-inventor-in-the-fashion-business-designers-recreate/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [Fashion is it's own currency, some pieces of fashion you can never put a price on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-minagar/fashion-is-it-s-own-currency-some-pieces-of-fashion-you-can-never-put/) [Melody Minagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-minagar/) > [People always think that designers hate each other. And we're certainly a competitive lot, but we also enjoy each other's company. No one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kors/people-always-think-that-designers-hate-each-other-and-we-re/) [Michael Kors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kors/) > [Designer' is meant to mean whatever it means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-harding/designer-is-meant-to-mean-whatever-it-means/) [Aldous Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-harding/) > [It's been a bit tricky trying to establish a 'designer' profile and not a designer-cum-girl-around-town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-philo/it-s-been-a-bit-tricky-trying-to-establish-a-designer-profile-and-not/) [Phoebe Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-philo/) > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [The creatives, they want to connect with people. These artists, the clothing designers, they want to connect with people the same way that music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/the-creatives-they-want-to-connect-with-people-these-artists-the/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [I love Christopher Bailey and Burberry, Mulberry for bags, and Hudson for jeans. I like a little bit of designer with a bit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-delevingne/i-love-christopher-bailey-and-burberry-mulberry-for-bags-and-hudson/) [Cara Delevingne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-delevingne/) > [As a designer, I believe in the power of fashion. It has the ability to not only change how you look but also how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-knowles/as-a-designer-i-believe-in-the-power-of-fashion-it-has-the-ability-to/) [Tina Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-knowles/) > [Users are not designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/users-are-not-designers/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More by Kenneth Jay Lane > [Men always like to please women. Women like to please men, too - some women. Some are very good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/men-always-like-to-please-women-women-like-to-please-men-too-some/) [Kenneth Jay Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/) > [A caveman took a shell, and maybe it had a hole in it, or maybe he put a hole in it, and he put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/a-caveman-took-a-shell-and-maybe-it-had-a-hole-in-it-or-maybe-he-put/) [Kenneth Jay Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/) > [My mother, when I told her I was going into the jewelry business said, 'Kenneth, don't tell anyone.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/my-mother-when-i-told-her-i-was-going-into-the-jewelry-business-said/) [Kenneth Jay Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/) > [If they made films in Palm Beach, actors and actresses would be much better dressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/if-they-made-films-in-palm-beach-actors-and-actresses-would-be-much/) [Kenneth Jay Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/) > [I am myself a fabulous fake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/i-am-myself-a-fabulous-fake/) [Kenneth Jay Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/) [Explore all 6 Kenneth Jay Lane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/) ## More Designer quotes > [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [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/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [Under Thatcher, who ruled us with an iron rod, great art was made. Amazing designers and musicians. Acid house was born. Very colourful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/under-thatcher-who-ruled-us-with-an-iron-rod-great-art-was-made/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [Users are not designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/users-are-not-designers/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [As a designer, I believe in the power of fashion. It has the ability to not only change how you look but also how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-knowles/as-a-designer-i-believe-in-the-power-of-fashion-it-has-the-ability-to/) [Tina Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-knowles/) > [I love Christopher Bailey and Burberry, Mulberry for bags, and Hudson for jeans. I like a little bit of designer with a bit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-delevingne/i-love-christopher-bailey-and-burberry-mulberry-for-bags-and-hudson/) [Cara Delevingne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-delevingne/) > [I don't think generally speaking, there are a lot of innovators and inventors. Many of the designers take what exists already and update it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-hilfiger/i-don-t-think-generally-speaking-there-are-a-lot-of-innovators-and/) [Tommy Hilfiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-hilfiger/) > [As a designer, everything is always about aesthetics mixed in with functionality and having that visual appeal. But you learn fast as a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/as-a-designer-everything-is-always-about-aesthetics-mixed-in-with/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [The creatives, they want to connect with people. These artists, the clothing designers, they want to connect with people the same way that music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/the-creatives-they-want-to-connect-with-people-these-artists-the/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [If you want to live a meaningfully better life, you're going to have to make the dangerous choice to dissent. A life lived meaningfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/if-you-want-to-live-a-meaningfully-better-life-you-re-going-to-have/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) Browse all 1,412 Designer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a designer, I'm an inventor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kenneth Jay Lane" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Designer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/kenneth-jay-lane-53278_designer_i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor-17055_1705591.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/kenneth-jay-lane-53278_designer_i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor-17055_1705591.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f9/kenneth-jay-lane-53278_designer_i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor-17055_1705591.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not a designer, I'm an inventor.” — Kenneth Jay Lane", "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": "Kenneth Jay Lane", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-jay-lane/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm not a designer, I'm an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-jay-lane/i-m-not-a-designer-i-m-an-inventor/#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 } } ] } ```