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People think that design is styling. 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 renaissance attitude that combines technology, cognitive science, human need and beauty to produce something that the world didn't know it was missing.
Paola Antonelli
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Design is more than aesthetics; it's about functionality and the deeper integration of various elements.

In this quote, Paola Antonelli emphasizes that design transcends mere styling or visual appeal. True design harmonizes various fields such as technology, cognitive science, and human needs, reflecting a holistic approach that delivers innovative solutions that resonate deeply with users, often addressing needs they were previously unaware of.

Themes

DesignTechnologyInnovationHuman NeedBeauty

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a design workshop to encourage participants to think beyond aesthetics.

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Designers may be the true intellectuals of the future.
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While an artist can choose whether or not to be responsive and responsible towards other human beings, by definition a designer must be.
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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.
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We live today not in the digital, not in the physical, but in the kind of minestrone that our mind makes of the two.
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