--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Learning to design is, first of all…" description: "\"“Learning to design is, first of all, learning to see. Designers see more, and more precisely. This is a blessing and a curse — once we have learned to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/oliver-reichenstein-267308_design_learning-to-design-is-first-of-all-learn_3180084.jpg" --- # Learning to design is, first of all, learning to see… ![“Learning to design is, first of all, learning to see. Designers see more, and more precisely. This is a blessing and a curse — once we have learned to see design, both good and bad, we cannot un-see. The downside is that the more you learn to see, the more you lose your ‘common’ eye, the eye you…” quote by Oliver Reichenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/oliver-reichenstein-267308_design_learning-to-design-is-first-of-all-learn_3180084.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/oliver-reichenstein-267308_design_learning-to-design-is-first-of-all-learn_3180084.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e62/oliver-reichenstein-267308_design_learning-to-design-is-first-of-all-learn_3180084.jpg) > ““Learning to design is, first of all, learning to see. Designers see more, and more precisely. This is a blessing and a curse — once we have learned to see design, both good and bad, we cannot un-see. The downside is that the more you learn to see, the more you lose your ‘common’ eye, the eye you design for. This can be frustrating for us designers when we work for a customer with a bad eye and strong opinions. But this is no justification for designer arrogance or eye-rolling. Part of our job is to make the invisible visible, to clearly express what we see, feel and do. You can‘t expect to sell what you can’t explain.”” [Oliver Reichenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-reichenstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Design education sharpens visual perception, making it hard to ignore flaws, which can cause tension when client tastes differ. Awareness of this bias is essential. **In simple terms:** Seeing design changes perception. Key Takeaway Balance keen eye with client communication. Themes design perception communication Mood insightful practical Type Design:1 Good and bad:1 Design Good:0 Eye Design:1 Learned Design:1 Design Learning:1 Learning Designers:1 When to use this quote - design reviews - client presentations - creative workshops Key Concepts visual literacy client relations professional humility Questions to Reflect On - How do you manage differing aesthetic opinions? - When should you prioritize client input over personal vision? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis may hinder intuition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-good-844174/) [Design Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-learning-4548477/) [Eye Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye-design-2046828/) [Good and bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-bad/) [Learned Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-design-2186851/) [Learning Designers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-designers-5823224/) ## Related quotes > [Design is all about learning from doing, that’s how we evolve to the best solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-brown/design-is-all-about-learning-from-doing-that-s-how-we-evolve-to-the/) [Tim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-brown/) > [I've generally got a good eye for design and proportion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-oldfield/i-ve-generally-got-a-good-eye-for-design-and-proportion/) [Bruce Oldfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-oldfield/) > [“Perhaps this is why The Boeing Company, one of the largest airplane design and engineering firms in the world, keeps a black book of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-berkun/perhaps-this-is-why-the-boeing-company-one-of-the-largest-airplane/) [Scott Berkun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-berkun/) > [The design of good houses requires an understanding of both the construction materials and the behavior of real humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morville/the-design-of-good-houses-requires-an-understanding-of-both-the/) [Peter Morville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morville/) > [You must have the ability to recognize good design and good user experience. These are core things at Airbnb. It doesn't matter which department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-gebbia/you-must-have-the-ability-to-recognize-good-design-and-good-user/) [Joe Gebbia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-gebbia/) > [Good design is good business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/good-design-is-good-business/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Design is about creating spaces for people to enjoy and of course, creating moments where you elevate the spirit, but 'design for good' is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-sinclair/design-is-about-creating-spaces-for-people-to-enjoy-and-of-course/) [Cameron Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-sinclair/) > [“There is no design so good that it can't be messed up by bad implementation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sravani-saha-nakhro/there-is-no-design-so-good-that-it-can-t-be-messed-up-by-bad/) [Sravani Saha Nakhro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sravani-saha-nakhro/) > [“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/good-design-is-actually-a-lot-harder-to-notice-than-poor-design-in/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Design is a form of competitive advantage. People tend to think of design as good art, good visual language, which it absolutely has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-hackett/design-is-a-form-of-competitive-advantage-people-tend-to-think-of/) [James P Hackett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-hackett/) > [One should make one's life a mosaic. Let the general design be good, the colors lively, and the materials diversified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marthe-bibesco/one-should-make-one-s-life-a-mosaic-let-the-general-design-be-good/) [Marthe Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marthe-bibesco/) > [The public is more familiar with bad design than good design. It is, in effect, conditioned to prefer bad design, because that is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rand/the-public-is-more-familiar-with-bad-design-than-good-design-it-is-in/) [Paul Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-rand/) > [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/) > [“They tricked me in school and marketing only made it worse. Happiness, love, wellness, success are not children of luck, things to be found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gi-young/they-tricked-me-in-school-and-marketing-only-made-it-worse-happiness/) [Gi Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gi-young/) > [From time to time, I've experimented with sculpture or metal design. It's a good break from just sitting behind the keyboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hurley/from-time-to-time-i-ve-experimented-with-sculpture-or-metal-design-it/) [Chad Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hurley/) ## 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": "“Learning to design is, first of all, learning to see. Designers see more, and more precisely. This is a blessing and a curse — once we have learned to see design, both good and bad, we cannot un-see. The downside is that the more you learn to see, the more you lose your ‘common’ eye, the eye you design for. This can be frustrating for us designers when we work for a customer with a bad eye and strong opinions. But this is no justification for designer arrogance or eye-rolling. 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