Universal Principles of Design Quotes

“Every element in a design should be expressed to the extent necessary, but not beyond the extent necessary. Excess is noise.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design

“It is important to avoid trying to create something that is average in all dimensions.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design

“Advance organizers are brief chunks of information—spoken, written, or illustrated—presented prior to new material to help facilitate learning and understanding.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design

“The aesthetic-usability effect describes a phenomenon in which people perceive more-aesthetic designs as easier to use than less-aesthetic designs—whether they are or not.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design

“There are four characteristics of accessible designs: perceptibility, operability, simplicity, and forgiveness.2”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design

“Objects and environments that embody naturalness, simplicity, and subtle imperfection achieve a deeper, more meaningful aesthetic.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design

“It is often preferable to settle for a satisfactory solution, rather than pursue an optimal solution.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design

“80 percent of a product’s usage involves 20 percent of its features.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design

“Simplicity is achieved when everyone can easily understand and use the design, regardless of experience, literacy, or concentration level.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design

“The 80/20 rule asserts that approximately 80 percent of the effects generated by any large system are caused by 20 percent of the variables in that system.”
― William Lidwell, Universal Principles of Design, Revised and Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design