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A good design is not a democratic consensus.
Edward De Bono
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Good design should not rely on the opinions of everyone, but rather on the vision and expertise of the designer.

The quote by Edward De Bono emphasizes that effective design is not the result of a collective agreement or compromise among many individuals. Instead, it highlights the importance of the designer's unique perspective and creativity, suggesting that great design often requires an authoritative vision that may not appeal to all parties involved.

Themes

DesignCreativityInnovationAestheticsExpertise

In practice

Example use cases

During a design workshop, I quoted Edward De Bono to illustrate the importance of a single vision in creating impactful work.

More from Edward De Bono

There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.
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Dealing with complexity is an inefficient and unnecessary waste of time, attention and mental energy. There is never any justification for things being complex when they could be simple.
Edward De BonoRead
As competition intensifies, the need for creative thinking increases. It is no longer enough to do the same thing better . . . no longer enough to be efficient and solve problems.
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Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic.
Edward De BonoRead
(...) being right all the time acquires a huge importance in education, and there is this terror of being wrong. The ego is so tied to being right that later on in life you are reluctant to accept that you are ever wrong, because you are defending not the idea but your self-esteem. (...) this terror of being wrong means that people have enormous difficulties in changing ideas.
Edward De BonoRead
Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it.
Edward De BonoRead

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