--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Aesthetics has become too important to be…" description: "\"Aesthetics has become too important to be left to the aesthetes. To succeed, hard-nosed engineers, real estate developers, and MBAs must take aesthetic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/virginia-postrel-2867_aesthetic_aesthetics-has-become-too-important-to-b_2603270.jpg" --- # Aesthetics has become too important to be left to the… ![“Aesthetics has become too important to be left to the aesthetes. To succeed, hard-nosed engineers, real estate developers, and MBAs must take aesthetic communication, and aesthetic pleasure, seriously. We, their customers, demand it.” quote by Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/virginia-postrel-2867_aesthetic_aesthetics-has-become-too-important-to-b_2603270.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/virginia-postrel-2867_aesthetic_aesthetics-has-become-too-important-to-b_2603270.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc1/virginia-postrel-2867_aesthetic_aesthetics-has-become-too-important-to-b_2603270.jpg) > “Aesthetics has become too important to be left to the aesthetes. To succeed, hard-nosed engineers, real estate developers, and MBAs must take aesthetic communication, and aesthetic pleasure, seriously. We, their customers, demand it.” [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues aesthetics must be integral to business, not left to artists, as customers demand it. **In simple terms:** Aesthetics essential for business success. Key Takeaway Integrate design into products. Themes business design aesthetics Mood analytical forward‑thinking Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - marketing - urban planning - technology Key Concepts consumer demand product development Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure aesthetic value? - When should aesthetics outweigh function? A Different Perspective Design can be costly and subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aesthetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetic/) [Aesthetic Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetic-communication-1963161/) [Aesthetics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetics/) [Aesthetics Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetics-important-1963160/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Communication Aesthetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication-aesthetic-1963162/) [Customers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customers/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Developers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developers/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Estates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/estates/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Mba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mba/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real estate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-estate/) [Succeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/succeed/) ## Related quotes > [“Functionality still matters, of course. But competition has pushed quality so high and prices so low that many manufacturers can no longer distinguish themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/functionality-still-matters-of-course-but-competition-has-pushed/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [I get rejections from the New Yorker. When I had to give a little talk to the people graduating from the MBA program at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/i-get-rejections-from-the-new-yorker-when-i-had-to-give-a-little-talk/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) > [MBAs know everything but understand nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-iacocca/mbas-know-everything-but-understand-nothing/) [Lee Iacocca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-iacocca/) > [Sometimes during the two-year curriculum, every MBA student ought to hear it clearly stated that numbers, techniques, and analysis are all side matters. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-robinson/sometimes-during-the-two-year-curriculum-every-mba-student-ought-to/) [Peter Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-robinson/) > [ My characteristics \[of Ideal Black Man.\] aren't as specific. I'm more general. I'm more like, I have to be able to talk to him.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/my-characteristics-of-ideal-black-man-aren-t-as-specific-i-m-more/) [Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/) > [I'm not sure I was a typical head of a company. Most people that run big companies come out of sales and they come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/i-m-not-sure-i-was-a-typical-head-of-a-company-most-people-that-run/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [You don't need a Harvard MBA to know that the bedroom and the boardroom are just two sides of the same ballgame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-don-t-need-a-harvard-mba-to-know-that-the-bedroom-and-the/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Songwriting is a craft. Writing good songs on a a consistent basis doesn not happen spontaneously. In fact, most of our best songwriters learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kosser/songwriting-is-a-craft-writing-good-songs-on-a-a-consistent-basis/) [Michael Kosser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kosser/) > [ We \[in the MBA\] get to create a situation where we're really choosing the students to join our environment based upon what we think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-dolan/we-in-the-mba-get-to-create-a-situation-where-we-re-really-choosing/) [Robert J. Dolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-dolan/) > [An MBA is a great degree for career paths like investment banking, finance, consulting, and large companies. An MBA is not necessarily the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/an-mba-is-a-great-degree-for-career-paths-like-investment-banking/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [“Cliché: "The MBA changed my life." What it really means: "A fantastic career, a great social life and a healthy bank balance...three of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sameer-kamat/clich-the-mba-changed-my-life-what-it-really-means-a-fantastic-career/) [Sameer Kamat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sameer-kamat/) > [An MBA doesn’t impress me. A GSD does. GSD = Gets Stuff Done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-comaford-lynch/an-mba-doesn-t-impress-me-a-gsd-does-gsd-gets-stuff-done/) [Christine Comaford-Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-comaford-lynch/) > [More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/more-business-decisions-occur-over-lunch-and-dinner-than-at-any-other/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [If given a choice between investing in someone who has read REWORK or has an MBA, I’m investing in REWORK every time. A must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/if-given-a-choice-between-investing-in-someone-who-has-read-rework-or/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [A 2001 survey of business owners with MBAs conducted by the Rochester Institute of Technology found that money was the primary motivator for only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/a-2001-survey-of-business-owners-with-mbas-conducted-by-the-rochester/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) ## More by Virginia Postrel > [The low point for neon came in 1982, when Holiday Inn did away with its signature 'Great Sign,' replacing the neon extravaganza with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-low-point-for-neon-came-in-1982-when-holiday-inn-did-away-with/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > ['The Matrix' is a movie that is all about glamour. I could do a whole talk on 'The Matrix' and glamour. It was criticized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-matrix-is-a-movie-that-is-all-about-glamour-i-could-do-a-whole/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Science is about exploring the unknown and cannot offer guarantees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/science-is-about-exploring-the-unknown-and-cannot-offer-guarantees/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [“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/) > [Persuasion has become a kind of force. The more the advertiser knows about what consumers want, and the more desires the product and packaging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/persuasion-has-become-a-kind-of-force-the-more-the-advertiser-knows/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [When credit is cheaper to use and easier to arrange, people do use more of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/when-credit-is-cheaper-to-use-and-easier-to-arrange-people-do-use/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Glamour is a beautiful illusion - the word 'glamour' originally meant a literal magic spell - that promises to transcend ordinary life and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/glamour-is-a-beautiful-illusion-the-word-glamour-originally-meant-a/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [A standard 'well woman' checkup can last as little as 10 minutes, hardly time for any in-depth discussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/a-standard-well-woman-checkup-can-last-as-little-as-10-minutes-hardly/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [When I was in college, I wanted to be editor of 'Reason' when I grew up. It was an impractical ambition, especially since the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/when-i-was-in-college-i-wanted-to-be-editor-of-reason-when-i-grew-up/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [A lot of consumers actively enjoy advertising, especially fashion print ads and clever TV commercials. The nostalgic cable channel TVLand features not only vintage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/a-lot-of-consumers-actively-enjoy-advertising-especially-fashion/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [“Functionality still matters, of course. But competition has pushed quality so high and prices so low that many manufacturers can no longer distinguish themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/functionality-still-matters-of-course-but-competition-has-pushed/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Like the skyscraper, the automobile, and the motion-picture palace, neon signs once symbolized popular hopes for a new era of technological achievement and commercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/like-the-skyscraper-the-automobile-and-the-motion-picture-palace-neon/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [When 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' premiered on the WB Network in 1996, American culture was in trouble. Americans were bowling alone, pursuing individual interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/when-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-premiered-on-the-wb-network-in-1996/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [The glamour of air travel - its aspirational meaning in the public imagination - disappeared before its luxury did, dissipating as flying gradually became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/the-glamour-of-air-travel-its-aspirational-meaning-in-the-public/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) > [Behind the criticism of fashion as an artistic medium is a highly ideological prejudice: against markets, against consumers, against the dynamism of Western commercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-postrel/behind-the-criticism-of-fashion-as-an-artistic-medium-is-a-highly/) [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) [Explore all 147 Virginia Postrel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) ## More Aesthetic quotes > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Beauty in the European sense has always had a premeditated quality to it. We've always had an aesthetic intention and a long-range plan. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/beauty-in-the-european-sense-has-always-had-a-premeditated-quality-to/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [All efforts to render politics aesthetic culminate in one thing: war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/all-efforts-to-render-politics-aesthetic-culminate-in-one-thing-war/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [I don't think I was ever thinking critically about my aesthetic, I think it's enough when you're little just to understand that you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-don-t-think-i-was-ever-thinking-critically-about-my-aesthetic-i/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [I'm kind of still down with Virg Woolf on this one: "women must kill the aesthetic ideal through which they themselves have been 'killed'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lidia-yuknavitch/i-m-kind-of-still-down-with-virg-woolf-on-this-one-women-must-kill/) [Lidia Yuknavitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lidia-yuknavitch/) > [Virtue is as little to be acquired by learning as genius; nay, the idea is barren, and is only to be employed as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/virtue-is-as-little-to-be-acquired-by-learning-as-genius-nay-the-idea/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [There is a certain aesthetic pleasure in trying to imagine the unimaginable and failing, if you are a reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-s-byatt-2/there-is-a-certain-aesthetic-pleasure-in-trying-to-imagine-the/) [A. S. Byatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-s-byatt-2/) > [I try to get the hip-hop aesthetic, most times without an MC. I don't use a rapper or a DJ to give it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/i-try-to-get-the-hip-hop-aesthetic-most-times-without-an-mc-i-don-t/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) > [It's so important what you're doing in your life. It's tremendously important to the work, and no aesthetic theories take that into account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maus/it-s-so-important-what-you-re-doing-in-your-life-it-s-tremendously/) [John Maus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maus/) > [It is not necessary to have an extravagant food budget in order to serve things with variety and tastefully cooked. It is not necessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-schaeffer/it-is-not-necessary-to-have-an-extravagant-food-budget-in-order-to/) [Edith Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-schaeffer/) > [In reality no food is valued solely for its nutritive power and no garment or house solely for the protection it affords against cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/in-reality-no-food-is-valued-solely-for-its-nutritive-power-and-no/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Art is realistic when it strives to express an ethical ideal. Realism is striving for truth, and truth is always beautiful. Here the aesthetic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/art-is-realistic-when-it-strives-to-express-an-ethical-ideal-realism/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [I had always wanted to expand to beauty, but I knew I wanted to be able to translate my design aesthetic in an authentic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-ronson/i-had-always-wanted-to-expand-to-beauty-but-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be/) [Charlotte Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-ronson/) > [I wanted the press to become something of a movement. Not a movement committed to a particular 'ism', but a gathering together of writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-metcalf/i-wanted-the-press-to-become-something-of-a-movement-not-a-movement/) [John Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-metcalf/) [Browse all 953 Aesthetic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aesthetic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Aesthetics has become too important to be left to the aesthetes. To succeed, hard-nosed engineers, real estate developers, and MBAs must take aesthetic communication, and aesthetic pleasure, seriously. 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