--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Over the years, I observed that many…" description: "\"Over the years, I observed that many talented graphic designers, including those in my own family, had difficulty getting their designs to market. I th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/mariam-naficy-41351_competitions_over-the-years-i-observed-that-many-tale_2042986.jpg" --- # Over the years, I observed that many talented graphic… ![“Over the years, I observed that many talented graphic designers, including those in my own family, had difficulty getting their designs to market. I thought it would be possible to hold open stationery design competitions where all designers could participate.” quote by Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/mariam-naficy-41351_competitions_over-the-years-i-observed-that-many-tale_2042986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/mariam-naficy-41351_competitions_over-the-years-i-observed-that-many-tale_2042986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c1/mariam-naficy-41351_competitions_over-the-years-i-observed-that-many-tale_2042986.jpg) > “Over the years, I observed that many talented graphic designers, including those in my own family, had difficulty getting their designs to market. I thought it would be possible to hold open stationery design competitions where all designers could participate.” [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Talented designers struggle to commercialize their work due to lack of exposure and market channels. **In simple terms:** Designers need better platforms to reach buyers. Key Takeaway Create open design contests to showcase talent. Themes creativity entrepreneurship market access Mood inspirational pragmatic Type practical motivational When to use this quote - fashion industry - freelance graphic work - startup funding - online marketplaces Key Concepts design competitions open platforms Questions to Reflect On - How can contests be structured to attract buyers? - What incentives motivate designers to enter? A Different Perspective May not guarantee sales without proper marketing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Competitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitions/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Designers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designers/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Graphic Designers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graphic-designers/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Market](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [Minted.com is both a global design community and stationery retailer. Independent graphic designers from all over the world submit designs to our ongoing design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/minted-com-is-both-a-global-design-community-and-stationery-retailer/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [Winning the competition for Frankfurt's Museum of Applied Art in '79 opened the door to a number of projects in Europe, especially as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/winning-the-competition-for-frankfurt-s-museum-of-applied-art-in-79/) [Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/) > [The name Minted speaks to the freshness of our design - the fact that we are receiving thousands of new designs each week and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/the-name-minted-speaks-to-the-freshness-of-our-design-the-fact-that/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [I wanted to create Rouje to bring together my talented friends - photographers, stylists, graphic designers - in a project to create my universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-damas/i-wanted-to-create-rouje-to-bring-together-my-talented-friends/) [Jeanne Damas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-damas/) > [“Amazing, life-altering anonymous picture quotes on FaceBook: Are they created by graphic designers who steal quotes or don't bother to research the author, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fierce-dolan/amazing-life-altering-anonymous-picture-quotes-on-facebook-are-they/) [Fierce Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fierce-dolan/) > [Graphic designers should be literate in graphic design history. Being able to design well is not always enough. Knowing the roots of design is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-heller/graphic-designers-should-be-literate-in-graphic-design-history-being/) [Steven Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-heller/) > [Graphic designers are idea embalmers, loving undertakers preserving bits of data like to many butterflies pinned to felt in a jewel box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-saffo/graphic-designers-are-idea-embalmers-loving-undertakers-preserving/) [Paul Saffo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-saffo/) > [“Art is too important a term to be used just for painters. And sculptors. And playwrights. And actors. And architects of a certain type.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-p-freeman/art-is-too-important-a-term-to-be-used-just-for-painters-and/) [Emily P. Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-p-freeman/) > [If you saw me working with construction crews or graphic designers, you'd see how much I'm really hoping for them to bring something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/if-you-saw-me-working-with-construction-crews-or-graphic-designers/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [France has always had a special place for Apple. This is the best place to discover and chat with all musicians, graphic designers, designers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/france-has-always-had-a-special-place-for-apple-this-is-the-best/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [“People suitable for designing the IA for a site could include: business analysts usability specialists writers graphic designers web developers project managers Their skills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-spencer/people-suitable-for-designing-the-ia-for-a-site-could-include/) Donna Spencer > [We get better product when the focus is on the fans and the artists - all artists; musical artists; singers, the graphic designers, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-banner/we-get-better-product-when-the-focus-is-on-the-fans-and-the-artists/) [David Banner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-banner/) > [“Graphic designers judge a cover by its book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/graphic-designers-judge-a-cover-by-its-book/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [What is said determines who listens and who understands. Graphic design is a language, but graphic designers are so busy worrying about the nuances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tibor-kalman/what-is-said-determines-who-listens-and-who-understands-graphic/) [Tibor Kalman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tibor-kalman/) > [An electrician isn't an opinion former, but a graphic designer is. My argument is that all graphic designers hold high levels of responsibility in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neville-brody/an-electrician-isn-t-an-opinion-former-but-a-graphic-designer-is-my/) [Neville Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neville-brody/) ## More by Mariam Naficy > [At age 28, I had no retail experience, no consumer marketing experience and no real Internet experience. But I decided I wanted to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/at-age-28-i-had-no-retail-experience-no-consumer-marketing-experience/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [I founded Minted in 2007 with the desire to use 'crowd-sourcing' to bring designs from the best emerging and independent designers in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/i-founded-minted-in-2007-with-the-desire-to-use-crowd-sourcing-to/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [Unlike Etsy, which is all handmade, we print and ship the products, not the designers. We relieve the designer from having to make and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/unlike-etsy-which-is-all-handmade-we-print-and-ship-the-products-not/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [Don't be afraid of developing a contrarian viewpoint on what type of person is perfect for your company as CTO and how you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/don-t-be-afraid-of-developing-a-contrarian-viewpoint-on-what-type-of/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [The Minted mission is to be a community that supports designers from all over the world and provides them with an opportunity to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/the-minted-mission-is-to-be-a-community-that-supports-designers-from/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [All of the designs on Minted are crowd-sourced from a global community of independent designers. We hold monthly design and art challenges that anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/all-of-the-designs-on-minted-are-crowd-sourced-from-a-global/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [The name Minted speaks to the freshness of our design - the fact that we are receiving thousands of new designs each week and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/the-name-minted-speaks-to-the-freshness-of-our-design-the-fact-that/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [Minted.com is both a global design community and stationery retailer. Independent graphic designers from all over the world submit designs to our ongoing design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/minted-com-is-both-a-global-design-community-and-stationery-retailer/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) > [Excellent content is available online to everyone. I like it because it's a flattening of the playing field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariam-naficy/excellent-content-is-available-online-to-everyone-i-like-it-because/) [Mariam Naficy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) [Explore all 10 Mariam Naficy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariam-naficy/) ## More Competitions quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I don't rank competitions - every single one is the Olympics to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blanka-vlasic/i-don-t-rank-competitions-every-single-one-is-the-olympics-to-me/) [Blanka Vlasic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blanka-vlasic/) > [I'm four minutes older. Of all the competitions in our life, I won the first one. Though Drew is a quarter inch taller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-scott/i-m-four-minutes-older-of-all-the-competitions-in-our-life-i-won-the/) [Jonathan Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-scott/) > [I don't believe that competitions are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/i-don-t-believe-that-competitions-are-important/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [I was always a show girl. My parents were wonderful. There wasn't a lot going on where we lived, but they ferried me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-maxwell-martin/i-was-always-a-show-girl-my-parents-were-wonderful-there-wasn-t-a-lot/) [Anna Maxwell Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-maxwell-martin/) > [Sometimes... we suffer from the tyranny of comparison. Contests, competitions, thrive on it. Who cares?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/sometimes-we-suffer-from-the-tyranny-of-comparison-contests/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [“It is not important how many competitions you have attended, it only matters how many you have won.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/it-is-not-important-how-many-competitions-you-have-attended-it-only/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [We always enter competitions to win but things don't always happen the way we want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willian/we-always-enter-competitions-to-win-but-things-don-t-always-happen/) [Willian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willian/) > [Rejuvenation of younger players should be the job of the Indonesian Badminton Association. But local competitions will help identify new talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taufik-hidayat/rejuvenation-of-younger-players-should-be-the-job-of-the-indonesian/) [Taufik Hidayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taufik-hidayat/) > [Athletes will get result with training and proper exposure. Money should be spent on them for exposure. We should send them for competitions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-t-usha/athletes-will-get-result-with-training-and-proper-exposure-money/) [P. T. Usha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-t-usha/) > [I got into music via the competitions; the first time I ever performed was in a kind of rap battle, competing for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-brown/i-got-into-music-via-the-competitions-the-first-time-i-ever-performed/) [Doc Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-brown/) > [I used to do a lot of serious theatre during my school and college days. Comedy was only reserved for youth festival and inter-college…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sharma/i-used-to-do-a-lot-of-serious-theatre-during-my-school-and-college/) [Kapil Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sharma/) > [I started acting when I was, like, five in monologue competitions at this private elementary school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-started-acting-when-i-was-like-five-in-monologue-competitions-at/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [Even when a man and a woman perform equally well in a task - say, solving math problems - men are more willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendhil-mullainathan/even-when-a-man-and-a-woman-perform-equally-well-in-a-task-say/) [Sendhil Mullainathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sendhil-mullainathan/) > [Competitions are what you do as a good exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/competitions-are-what-you-do-as-a-good-exercise/) [Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/) [Browse all 70 Competitions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Over the years, I observed that many talented graphic designers, including those in my own family, had difficulty getting their designs to market. 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