--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on…" description: "\"It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and rye devoted much of my career to this\" — Michael Graves" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/michael-graves-21551_careers_it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on_2053651.png" --- # It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and… ![“It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and rye devoted much of my career to this” quote by Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/michael-graves-21551_careers_it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on_2053651.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/michael-graves-21551_careers_it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on_2053651.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/michael-graves-21551_careers_it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on_2053651.png) > “It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and rye devoted much of my career to this” [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He aimed to elevate design standards, constantly pushing creative boundaries. **In simple terms:** He wanted to improve design and keep raising the bar. Key Takeaway Continuously seek higher standards in your work. Themes design innovation ambition Mood inspirational determined Type professional motivational When to use this quote - product development - branding - urban planning Key Concepts architecture creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance innovation with practicality? - What limits your ability to 'up the ante'? A Different Perspective Raising standards may increase costs and resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ante Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ante-good-2137150/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Rye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-rye-3882368/) [Devoted Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devoted-career-2049381/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goal Ante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal-ante-2137151/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Good design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-design/) [Rye Devoted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rye-devoted-3882369/) ## Related quotes > [It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design, and I've devoted much of my career to this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on-good-design-and-i-ve-devoted/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [I devoted my career to building an affinity with my fans who have supported me unflinchingly and no barbed wire fence or prison wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foxy-brown/i-devoted-my-career-to-building-an-affinity-with-my-fans-who-have/) [Foxy Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foxy-brown/) > [I stayed true to what I thought was good design no matter who it was for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/i-stayed-true-to-what-i-thought-was-good-design-no-matter-who-it-was/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [The way I look at my job, I spend a lot of time trying to create the conditions for good design to happen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khoi-vinh/the-way-i-look-at-my-job-i-spend-a-lot-of-time-trying-to-create-the/) [Khoi Vinh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khoi-vinh/) > [ The combination of an individual\[i.e., a client\] with a positive idea of living and a good designer is the great force in contemporary decoration.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-day-truex/the-combination-of-an-individual-i-e-a-client-with-a-positive-idea-of/) [Van Day Truex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-day-truex/) > [Picasso said that no one has to explain a daffodil. Good design is understandable to virtually everybody. You never have to ask why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-newell-jacobsen/picasso-said-that-no-one-has-to-explain-a-daffodil-good-design-is/) [Hugh Newell Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-newell-jacobsen/) > [Accessible design is good design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/accessible-design-is-good-design/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [My mantra is: 'Good design accelerates the adoption of new ideas.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/my-mantra-is-good-design-accelerates-the-adoption-of-new-ideas/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [“Good design doesn’t stem from intuition, talent, or luck (although I’ll take a smidgen of each). It comes from research and understanding.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-design-doesn-t-stem-from-intuition-talent-or-luck-although-i-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralf-speth/if-you-think-good-design-is-expensive-you-should-look-at-the-cost-of/) [Ralf Speth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralf-speth/) > [All conventional wisdom has an element of truth to it, but good design requires more than an element of truth - it requires an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-petroski/all-conventional-wisdom-has-an-element-of-truth-to-it-but-good-design/) [Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-petroski/) > [“Design is not style. It’s not about giving shape to the shell and not giving a damn about the guts. Good design is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/design-is-not-style-it-s-not-about-giving-shape-to-the-shell-and-not/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Good design is probably 98% common sense. Above all, an object must function well and efficiently-and getting that part right requires a good deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-conran/good-design-is-probably-98-common-sense-above-all-an-object-must/) [Terence Conran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-conran/) > [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/) > [Good design encourages a viewer to want to learn more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-isley/good-design-encourages-a-viewer-to-want-to-learn-more/) [Alexander Isley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-isley/) ## More by Michael Graves > [I stayed true to what I thought was good design no matter who it was for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/i-stayed-true-to-what-i-thought-was-good-design-no-matter-who-it-was/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [I have no requirements for a style of architecture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/i-have-no-requirements-for-a-style-of-architecture/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [I once got a postcard from a French poet who wrote - "you don't know me but I'm always very grumpy when I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/i-once-got-a-postcard-from-a-french-poet-who-wrote-you-don-t-know-me/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [In any architecture, there is an equity between the pragmatic function and the symbolic function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/in-any-architecture-there-is-an-equity-between-the-pragmatic-function/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [My favorite is the garlic press. I think it's beautiful as an object. But the awkward part of it all is that I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/my-favorite-is-the-garlic-press-i-think-it-s-beautiful-as-an-object/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [I don't care what people call me, labels have the negative value of making smaller boundaries for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/i-don-t-care-what-people-call-me-labels-have-the-negative-value-of/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [Architecture is not all about the design of the building and nothing else, it is also about the cultural setting and the ambience, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/architecture-is-not-all-about-the-design-of-the-building-and-nothing/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [In designing hardware to be used every day, it was important to keep both the human aspects and the machine in mind. What looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/in-designing-hardware-to-be-used-every-day-it-was-important-to-keep/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [The design of the building addresses the public nature of both the urban context and the internal program. In order to reinforce the building's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/the-design-of-the-building-addresses-the-public-nature-of-both-the/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [Alberto Alessi had asked a dozen architects to design a sterling silver tea service - with a teapot, a coffee pot, sugar, creamer, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/alberto-alessi-had-asked-a-dozen-architects-to-design-a-sterling/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [“Out of my numerous visits I have made to Catfish Plantation, I never photographed an entity like this. It looks like an angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/out-of-my-numerous-visits-i-have-made-to-catfish-plantation-i-never/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [If I have a style, I am not aware of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/if-i-have-a-style-i-am-not-aware-of-it/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [“Amply described blowjobs and anal scenes may stigmatise gay writers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/amply-described-blowjobs-and-anal-scenes-may-stigmatise-gay-writers/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design, and I've devoted much of my career to this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on-good-design-and-i-ve-devoted/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) > [My favorite project is always the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/my-favorite-project-is-always-the-next-one/) [Michael Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) [Explore all 29 Michael Graves quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/) ## More Careers quotes > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) [Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/) > [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/) [Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/) > [Everything I've been through, everything I'm about to go through in my career and my life, if my family wasn't with me and didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-malone/everything-i-ve-been-through-everything-i-m-about-to-go-through-in-my/) [Karl Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-malone/) > [An image has stuck for most of my career and it isn't flattering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-fowler/an-image-has-stuck-for-most-of-my-career-and-it-isn-t-flattering/) [Robbie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-fowler/) [Browse all 6,154 Careers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and rye devoted much of my career to this", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Graves" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on-good-design-and-rye-devoted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Careers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on-good-design-and-rye-devoted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/michael-graves-21551_careers_it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on_2053651.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/michael-graves-21551_careers_it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on_2053651.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/michael-graves-21551_careers_it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on_2053651.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was always my goal to 'up the ante' on good design and rye devoted much of my career to this” — Michael Graves", "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": "Michael Graves", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graves/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It was always my goal to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on-good-design-and-rye-devoted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graves/it-was-always-my-goal-to-up-the-ante-on-good-design-and-rye-devoted/#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 } } ] } ```