A Word of Advice (from Other Designers)

This post is short and sweet, but powerful. I know it might be cliché, but I find a good quote can really kick you in the you-know-what and keep you going.

So, here are a few of my favorite (design) quotes by some kick ass people.

When you are producing a design that you feel is “good enough” and everyone seems to be ok with “good enough”:

“I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things. That’s my intent.” — Saul Bass

 

When you are struggling to meet that deadline, expectations are high and you are ready to run screaming:

“To be outstanding – get comfortable with being uncomfortable”
— Alrik Koudenburg

 

When you are designing for a client and haven’t received the final content, you can remember that others have felt your pain:

“Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it’s decoration.”
— Jeffrey Zeldman

 

When you are in love with an idea and then realize that maybe it’s not gonna work 100%:

“Never fall in love with an idea. They’re whores. If the one you’re with isn’t doing the job, there’s always, always, always another.”
— Chip Kidd

 

When you might be having a bad design day remember this:

“It’s through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.”
— Paula Scher

 

When someone gives you a hard time about your creative hobbies or outlets, remember:

“Take your pleasures seriously.”
— Charles Eames

 

Just remember this, when you are tasked with making a lot of information beautiful:

“Confusion and clutter are the failure of design, not the attributes of information.”
— Edward R. Tufte.

 

And perhaps my favorite quote of all (makes sense for the stubborn and people who make their own rules):

“I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.”
— Oscar Wilde

 

For more good advice, here is one of my favorites sites to check daily: goodfuckingdesignadvice.com

 

What’s your favorite design-related quote?