--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you have to design something, choose…" description: "\"If you have to design something, choose things that we need as opposed to frivolous things that we might just want for a month or two for bragging righ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/saul-griffith-42840_bragging_if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-t_1447367.jpg" --- # If you have to design something, choose things that we… ![“If you have to design something, choose things that we need as opposed to frivolous things that we might just want for a month or two for bragging rights.” quote by Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/saul-griffith-42840_bragging_if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-t_1447367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/saul-griffith-42840_bragging_if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-t_1447367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/saul-griffith-42840_bragging_if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-t_1447367.jpg) > “If you have to design something, choose things that we need as opposed to frivolous things that we might just want for a month or two for bragging rights.” [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker advises designing essential, lasting solutions rather than temporary, status-driven gadgets. **In simple terms:** Design for necessity, not novelty. Key Takeaway Focus on lasting value over hype. Themes design sustainability necessity Mood practical inspirational Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - product development - urban planning - educational tools Key Concepts minimalism long‑term impact resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - What needs are truly unmet? - How can you measure lasting impact? A Different Perspective Market pressure can favor flashy items. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bragging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bragging/) [Bragging rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bragging-rights/) [Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose/) [Choose Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choose-things/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Choose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-choose-5195890/) [Frivolous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frivolous/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Month](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/month/) [Month Bragging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/month-bragging-5195891/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Opposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposed/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Things Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-need/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [Through default or intention, unaware or by design, we not only choose but create the visible outer conditions that are most resonant to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/through-default-or-intention-unaware-or-by-design-we-not-only-choose/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [An awful lot of people keep a stock too long because it gives them warm fuzzies – particularly when a contrarian stance has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-neff/an-awful-lot-of-people-keep-a-stock-too-long-because-it-gives-them/) [John Neff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-neff/) > [Getting to a 1 rating in households is a sign that we're building momentum. It gives us bragging rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/getting-to-a-1-rating-in-households-is-a-sign-that-we-re-building/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [I don't need any more press. I get enough when I work, but environmental causes is one place where you can get me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-don-t-need-any-more-press-i-get-enough-when-i-work-but/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [“I don't mind people talking about me behind my back. It means they know me, and I'm out in front.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lucero/i-don-t-mind-people-talking-about-me-behind-my-back-it-means-they/) [David Lucero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lucero/) > [The only party that has better bragging rights than the Greens is the Bloc Quebecois.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/the-only-party-that-has-better-bragging-rights-than-the-greens-is-the/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [Once you're on scout team, you're going against people you don't really get to go against, so you want to prove a point so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-chung/once-you-re-on-scout-team-you-re-going-against-people-you-don-t/) [Patrick Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-chung/) > [In order to become a success, a business doesn't just have to do well, it has to to better than its competitors. Being number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/in-order-to-become-a-success-a-business-doesn-t-just-have-to-do-well/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Derby games are about more than points in the league, or cup victories, they are about bragging rights that extend well beyond an afternoon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james/derby-games-are-about-more-than-points-in-the-league-or-cup-victories/) [David James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james/) > [I'm just glad that I have bragging rights to working with Bugs and Daffy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-fraser/i-m-just-glad-that-i-have-bragging-rights-to-working-with-bugs-and/) [Brendan Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-fraser/) > [“If parents want “success stories” to share at gatherings they should provide themselves with those, and they should not use their children for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lukasz-laniecki/if-parents-want-success-stories-to-share-at-gatherings-they-should/) [Lukasz Laniecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lukasz-laniecki/) > [From what my friends tell me, apparently some guys can be pretty intimidated by me when they find out what I do. I find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-sacramone/from-what-my-friends-tell-me-apparently-some-guys-can-be-pretty/) [Alicia Sacramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-sacramone/) > [My interest is in completing an image that is spectacular beyond belief. My fidelity is to the image and the art and not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/my-interest-is-in-completing-an-image-that-is-spectacular-beyond/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [What was once a comparatively minor threat - people hacking for fun or for bragging rights - has turned into full-blown economic espionage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-a-wray/what-was-once-a-comparatively-minor-threat-people-hacking-for-fun-or/) [Christopher A. Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-a-wray/) > [“Don't ever brag about the funds(money) of your parents because they might leave wuth it when their time comes instead strive to make yours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-osa-afiana/don-t-ever-brag-about-the-funds-money-of-your-parents-because-they/) [Chuka Osa-Afiana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-osa-afiana/) ## More by Saul Griffith > [Conventional turbines only work up to 200 feet, but capturing a small fraction of the global wind energy at higher altitudes could be sufficient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/conventional-turbines-only-work-up-to-200-feet-but-capturing-a-small/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [We need a proportional quantitative understanding of energy use, for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/we-need-a-proportional-quantitative-understanding-of-energy-use-for/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [In many respects, designing heirloom products means saying no to designing consumer crap that you know will not last very long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/in-many-respects-designing-heirloom-products-means-saying-no-to/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [I think in reality, today, if you use the same tools as everyone else, you kind of build the same products.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/i-think-in-reality-today-if-you-use-the-same-tools-as-everyone-else/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [The principal and only way to make an heirloom product is to design something that people will need not just this year, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/the-principal-and-only-way-to-make-an-heirloom-product-is-to-design/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [I think there's an infinite number of cool technology sports that should exist that don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/i-think-there-s-an-infinite-number-of-cool-technology-sports-that/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [I need to be thinking about a few things at once. I think it actually helps because you're cross-fertilizing yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/i-need-to-be-thinking-about-a-few-things-at-once-i-think-it-actually/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [Energy literacy means you can see the waste in disposing of a plastic bottle after you've drunk water from some place on the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/energy-literacy-means-you-can-see-the-waste-in-disposing-of-a-plastic/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) > [If you write your own tools, you can sort of see new things, design new things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/if-you-write-your-own-tools-you-can-sort-of-see-new-things-design-new/) [Saul Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) [Explore all 10 Saul Griffith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/) ## More Bragging quotes > [“A session of boasting won't attract any real friends.  It will set you up on a pedestal, however, making you a clearer target.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-session-of-boasting-won-t-attract-any-real-friends-it-will-set-you/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Yeah I took the spot she gone POOF](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/yeah-i-took-the-spot-she-gone-poof/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [For God hates utterly the bray of bragging tongues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/for-god-hates-utterly-the-bray-of-bragging-tongues/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I wasn't above bragging. Besides, I was damn proud of myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-duncan/i-wasn-t-above-bragging-besides-i-was-damn-proud-of-myself/) [Megan Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-duncan/) > [To be robbed and betrayed by a fiendish underground conspiracy, or by the earthly agents of Satan, is at least a romantic sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/to-be-robbed-and-betrayed-by-a-fiendish-underground-conspiracy-or-by/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [“Don't ever brag about the funds(money) of your parents because they might leave wuth it when their time comes instead strive to make yours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-osa-afiana/don-t-ever-brag-about-the-funds-money-of-your-parents-because-they/) [Chuka Osa-Afiana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-osa-afiana/) > [I'm better when I'm an autodidact and things just come. Or you're just blessed. I'm not bragging or anything, it just comes to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/i-m-better-when-i-m-an-autodidact-and-things-just-come-or-you-re-just/) [Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/) > [It's those that has never been confronted with a life threatening situation that usually boast of their bravery to high heavens!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/it-s-those-that-has-never-been-confronted-with-a-life-threatening/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [There's never a benefit to bragging too much about a deal because the only sure thing is that I'm probably going to be dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-steinberg/there-s-never-a-benefit-to-bragging-too-much-about-a-deal-because-the/) [Leigh Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-steinberg/) > [Pink Friday Eminem 8 Mile It must hurt to sell your album on Paypal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/pink-friday-eminem-8-mile-it-must-hurt-to-sell-your-album-on-paypal/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [What was once a comparatively minor threat - people hacking for fun or for bragging rights - has turned into full-blown economic espionage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-a-wray/what-was-once-a-comparatively-minor-threat-people-hacking-for-fun-or/) [Christopher A. Wray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-a-wray/) > [Honesty is about the scars. It's about the blemishes. But it's more than just bragging about failure, which could be a form of ego.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/honesty-is-about-the-scars-it-s-about-the-blemishes-but-it-s-more/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [To those that brag: Brag about the things you have worked hard for to achieve.. Don't brag about your parents success.. They worked their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reelow-leesah/to-those-that-brag-brag-about-the-things-you-have-worked-hard-for-to/) [ReeLow LeeSah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reelow-leesah/) > [2010 Foursquare Mayor Of The Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baratunde-thurston/2010-foursquare-mayor-of-the-year/) [Baratunde Thurston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baratunde-thurston/) > [I mean we cant even rock them shoes if it dont got a comma on the price tag ya know. I mean.. I mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/i-mean-we-cant-even-rock-them-shoes-if-it-dont-got-a-comma-on-the/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) [Browse all 383 Bragging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bragging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you have to design something, choose things that we need as opposed to frivolous things that we might just want for a month or two for bragging rights.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saul Griffith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-things-that-we-need-as-opposed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bragging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-things-that-we-need-as-opposed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/saul-griffith-42840_bragging_if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-t_1447367.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/saul-griffith-42840_bragging_if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-t_1447367.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55c/saul-griffith-42840_bragging_if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-t_1447367.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you have to design something, choose things that we need as opposed to frivolous things that we might…” — Saul Griffith", "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": "Saul Griffith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-griffith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you have to design something,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-things-that-we-need-as-opposed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-griffith/if-you-have-to-design-something-choose-things-that-we-need-as-opposed/#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 } } ] } ```