Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible
Edward TufteRead
It is not how much empty space there is, but rather how it is used. It is not how much information there is, but rather how effectively it is arranged.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The effectiveness of space and information lies in their arrangement rather than their quantity.
Edward Tufte emphasizes that the utility of space and information is determined more by their arrangement and use than by their mere presence or quantity. Proper organization and thoughtful design can lead to better understanding and communication, highlighting the importance of clarity over volume in visual presentation.
Themes
SpaceInformationDesignArrangementEffectiveness
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about data visualization, this quote can highlight the importance of clear design.
More from Edward Tufte
All quotes →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
There 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 you’re told what to look for, you can’t see anything else.
Edward TufteRead
Similar quotes
Great design will not sell an inferior product, but it will enable a great product to achieve its maximum potential.
Thomas Watson, Jr.Read
Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it's decoration.
Jeffrey ZeldmanRead
Good design should be available to everyone - and I do mean everyone. What I spent on the wheelchair I'm in could buy a small Mercedes. It's not only unfair to me; it's unfair to someone who's indigent but has the same needs. My goal is to make all objects affordable.
Michael GravesRead
Content informs design; design without content is decoration.
Jeffrey ZeldmanRead
Designers provide ways into—and out of—the flood of words by breaking up text into pieces and offering shortcuts and alternate routes through masses of information. (...) Although many books define the purpose of typography as enhancing the readability of the written word, one of design’s most humane functions is, in actuality, to help readers avoid reading.
Ellen LuptonRead
Designers stand between revolutions and everyday life. They’re able to grasp momentous changes in technology, science, and society and convert those changes into objects and ideas that people can understand.
Paola AntonelliRead