Design is inherently optimistic. That is its power.
William McdonoughRead
Designing renders visible our hopes and dreams. It is the first signal of human intentions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Designing embodies our aspirations and intentions, manifesting them into something tangible.
This quote by William McDonough emphasizes the role of design in transforming abstract ideas and visions into a physical reality. It highlights that through the act of designing, we articulate our desires and aspirations, thereby giving life to our hopes and dreams and signaling our intentions as humans.
Themes
DesignIntentionsHopesDreamsCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a presentation about design principles.
More from William Mcdonough
All quotes βWe are proposing buildings that, like trees, are net energy exporters, produce more energy than they consume, accrue and store solar energy, and purify their own waste, water and release it slowly in a purer form.
William McdonoughRead
If we think about things having multiple lives, cradle to cradle, we could design things that can go back to either nature or back to industry forever.
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I think as designers we realize design is a signal of intention, but it also has to occur within a world and we have to understand that world in order to imbue our designs with inherent intelligence.
William McdonoughRead
Here's where redesign begins in earnest, where we stop trying to be less bad and we start figuring out how to be good.
William McdonoughRead
Designers are inherently optimistic people who try to make the world a better place
William McdonoughRead
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