--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A design can excel at one challenge only…" description: "\"“A design can excel at one challenge only by compromising at others.”\" — Steven Pinker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2a/steven-pinker-526_ability_a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only_1060470.jpg" --- # A design can excel at one challenge only by compromising… ![“A design can excel at one challenge only by compromising at others.” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2a/steven-pinker-526_ability_a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only_1060470.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2a/steven-pinker-526_ability_a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only_1060470.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2a/steven-pinker-526_ability_a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only_1060470.jpg) > ““A design can excel at one challenge only by compromising at others.”” [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Designs excel at a specific challenge only by making trade‑offs elsewhere, highlighting the necessity of compromise. **In simple terms:** Designs succeed by compromising elsewhere. Key Takeaway Accept trade‑offs to excel at your focus. Themes design trade‑offs focus innovation Mood analytical critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - product development - architectural planning - software engineering - policy making Key Concepts systems thinking optimization resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - Which aspects are you willing to sacrifice for excellence? - How do you prioritize design goals? A Different Perspective Compromise may limit versatility or future adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Challenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) ## Related quotes > [Aggression, like every other part of human behavior we take for granted, is a challenging engineering problem!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/aggression-like-every-other-part-of-human-behavior-we-take-for/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I can be taken away from myself quite easily, I kind of start betraying myself and compromising my integrity, to keep someone else happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-lou-wood/i-can-be-taken-away-from-myself-quite-easily-i-kind-of-start/) [Aimee Lou Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-lou-wood/) > [“You can be humble without compromising your values.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-can-be-humble-without-compromising-your-values/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I don't want stuff that's compromising to me as a person, but as long as it has a pathway to redemption and has meaning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-harney/i-don-t-want-stuff-that-s-compromising-to-me-as-a-person-but-as-long/) Michael Harney > [But we have to find ways of compromising when we disagree on something. You know what compromise is, right?" "Uh-huh. It's when you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/but-we-have-to-find-ways-of-compromising-when-we-disagree-on/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > ['Style Strategy' is about shopping smart, staying chic and making it all last. It's about showing women how to shop for value without compromising…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-garcia/style-strategy-is-about-shopping-smart-staying-chic-and-making-it-all/) [Nina Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-garcia/) > [In a relationship, when does the art of compromise become compromising?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/in-a-relationship-when-does-the-art-of-compromise-become-compromising/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [I don't think that independent or off-beat films are not commercial, nor do I want to categorise them. 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Compromising is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-langer/if-we-examine-what-is-behind-our-desires-we-can-usually-get-what-we/) [Ellen J. Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-langer/) > [I've done loads of collaborations and I'm never totally happy with the outcome because it feels like you're compromising something of yourself in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hudson-mohawke/i-ve-done-loads-of-collaborations-and-i-m-never-totally-happy-with/) Hudson Mohawke > [My best business decision was to be independent as a musician and artist. 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A toadstool could be given a genius award…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-fact-without-a-specification-of-a-creature-s-goals-the-very-idea/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“The obvious cure for the tragic shortcomings of human intuition in a high-tech world is education. And this offers priorities for educational policy: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-obvious-cure-for-the-tragic-shortcomings-of-human-intuition-in-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/if-you-look-in-general-at-people-who-live-in-anarchy-they-have-quite/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“In some eras, self-control defines the paragon of a decent person: a grown-up, a person of dignity, a lady or a gentleman, a mensch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/in-some-eras-self-control-defines-the-paragon-of-a-decent-person-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Knowledge is a continuous fabric, in which ideas are connected to other ideas. Reason-free zones, in which people can assert arbitrary beliefs safe from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/knowledge-is-a-continuous-fabric-in-which-ideas-are-connected-to/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) [Explore all 495 Steven Pinker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A design can excel at one challenge only by compromising at others.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Pinker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only-by-compromising-at-others/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only-by-compromising-at-others/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2a/steven-pinker-526_ability_a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only_1060470.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2a/steven-pinker-526_ability_a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only_1060470.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2a/steven-pinker-526_ability_a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only_1060470.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A design can excel at one challenge only by compromising at others.” — Steven Pinker", "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": "Steven Pinker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A design can excel at one...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only-by-compromising-at-others/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/a-design-can-excel-at-one-challenge-only-by-compromising-at-others/#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 } } ] } ```