I have stared long enough at the glowing flat rectangles of computer screens. Let us give more time for doing things in the real world...plant a plant, walk the dogs, read a real book, go to the opera.
Edward TufteRead
Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible
Interpretation
What this quote means
Good design effectively communicates clarity and understanding, while poor design highlights confusion and lack of thought.
This quote by Edward Tufte emphasizes the importance of clear thinking in the process of design. It suggests that effective design should make ideas and concepts easily understandable, serving as a visual representation of clarity and intelligence. Conversely, design that fails to articulate a message or is poorly executed does not just show ineffectiveness; it reveals a deeper lack of consideration or intellect in its conception.
Themes
DesignClarityThinkingVisualCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
A designer might use this quote to inspire a team during a brainstorming session.
More from Edward Tufte
All quotes βThere is no such thing as information overload, just bad design. If something is cluttered and/or confusing, fix your design.
Edward TufteRead
The minimum we should hope for with any display technology is that it should do no harm.
Edward TufteRead
PowerPoint is like being trapped in the style of early Egyptian flatland cartoons rather than using the more effective tools of Renaissance visual representation.
Edward TufteRead
If youβre told what to look for, you canβt see anything else.
Edward TufteRead
Design cannot rescue failed content.
Edward TufteRead
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