--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No design is possible until the materials…" description: "\"No design is possible until the materials with which you design are completely understood\" — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b2/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_design_no-design-is-possible-until-the-material_3055912.jpg" --- # No design is possible until the materials with which you… ![“No design is possible until the materials with which you design are completely understood” quote by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b2/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_design_no-design-is-possible-until-the-material_3055912.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b2/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_design_no-design-is-possible-until-the-material_3055912.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b2/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe-7536_design_no-design-is-possible-until-the-material_3055912.jpg) > “No design is possible until the materials with which you design are completely understood” [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design cannot be effective without deep knowledge of the material's properties and behavior. **In simple terms:** Understand materials before designing. Key Takeaway Study material properties first. Themes architecture design materials Mood analytical thoughtful Type instructional philosophical When to use this quote - building design - product development - engineering - fabrication Key Concepts material science structural integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure material knowledge? - What risks arise from assumptions? A Different Perspective Limited if material knowledge is incomplete, design may fail. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Completely Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/completely-understood-5105052/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Completely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-completely-5105049/) [Design Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-possible-4579586/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials/) [Materials Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials-design-5105050/) [Possible Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-materials-5105051/) [Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understood/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Nothing worse could happen to one than to be completely understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/nothing-worse-could-happen-to-one-than-to-be-completely-understood/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [My objective is to design a space that nobody else can come up with while using the material that anyone can use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadao-ando/my-objective-is-to-design-a-space-that-nobody-else-can-come-up-with/) [Tadao Ando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadao-ando/) > [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/) [Curtis W. 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I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/our-guiding-principle-was-that-design-is-neither-an-intellectual-nor/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [Design is a very personal thing. It's like art. 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We must beware not to disrupt it with the color of our houses and interior fittings. yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/nature-too-shall-live-its-own-life-we-must-beware-not-to-disrupt-it/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Let us guide our students over the road of discipline from materials, through function, to creative work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/let-us-guide-our-students-over-the-road-of-discipline-from-materials/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Just as we acquaint ourselves with materials, and just as we must understand functions, we must become familiar with the psychological and spiritual factors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/just-as-we-acquaint-ourselves-with-materials-and-just-as-we-must/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Simply by not owning three medium-sized castles in Tuscany I have saved enough money in the last forty years on insurance premiums alone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/simply-by-not-owning-three-medium-sized-castles-in-tuscany-i-have/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The problem of architecture has always been the same throughout time. 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No noodles nor armoured turrets. A construction of girders that carry the weight, and walls that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/reinforced-concrete-buildings-are-by-nature-skeletal-buildings-no/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [Generally, I think my work has so much influence because of its reasonableness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/generally-i-think-my-work-has-so-much-influence-because-of-its/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [ \[In art\], less is more. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/in-art-less-is-more/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [You can use up all the slums for new development. In all the cities of the world, there are large areas of these. Also,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/you-can-use-up-all-the-slums-for-new-development-in-all-the-cities-of/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The individual is losing significance; his destiny is no longer what interests us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/the-individual-is-losing-significance-his-destiny-is-no-longer-what/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [The building art is man's spatial dialogue with his environment and demonstrates how he asserts himself therein and how he masters it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/the-building-art-is-man-s-spatial-dialogue-with-his-environment-and/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) > [You can teach students how to work; you can teach them technique - how to use reason; you can even give them a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/you-can-teach-students-how-to-work-you-can-teach-them-technique-how/) [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) [Explore all 89 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe/) ## 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. 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