Words That Inspire Me Collecting beautiful pieces of words that inspire meNotes / 2025 -
“Your work is your name.”— Vivian, my English mentor Similarly, it is my life.
“If I had one hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and 5 minutes solving it.”— Albert EinsteinStrongly agree. I also believe good problem definition usually points us toward the direction we need to take.
“The solution, once revealed, must seem to have been inevitable.”— Raymond ChandlerTo truly understand innovative solutions, I believe you need to hear how they were made, the thinking process behind them. That’s the interesting part.
“Now I find it difficult to read even a single line of poetry. Recently I tried to read Shakespeare, but it was so tedious that I almost felt sick. I have completely lost my taste for art and music. My mind has become like a kind of machine that gathers all sorts of facts and tries to derive general laws from them”— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Writer and PhilosopherOct 2025. Those words from Goethe clearly illustrate how I’ve felt while learning visual design and speculative design at ArtCenter. It is challenging to shift from my analytical way of thinking to a more feeling-based approach. Even my feelings and intuition tend to be shaped by rapid analysis.
Jan 2026. I was moved by words from Chef Choi Kang-rok, who said that he has never spent even 90 sec cooking solely for himself. Thinking about it, as a designer, I have also lived for others by designing for others. Sometimes, I begin a design because I feel a personal need for it, yet even that instinct gradually becomes an object of evaluation.
Plus, when I experience things, I find myself assessing the experience from a user’s perspective rather than simply enjoying it. In an effort not to lose objectivity, I seem to experience and feel things while keeping a slight distance from them. In doing so, I began to recall the subjective inner imagery that I had gradually lost.
“The most personal is the most creative.”— Bong Joon-ho, directorMy designs often reflect my personal interests at the time. If I’m drawn to the idea of inspiration, that becomes the starting point of my design. If I’m curious about online chatting, my work naturally begins there. In every case, the results exceeded my expectations. I believe it was because the process itself was so immersive. There may be many reasons why Director Bong Joon-ho said those words. I’ve come to value how personal curiosity drives focus and engagement, often leading to more meaningful and insightful design outcomes.
“하나의 장편소설을 쓸 때마다 나는 질문들을 견디며 그 안에 산다.
대답을 찾아낼 때가 아니라, 그 질문들의 끝에 다다를 때 그 소설을 완성하게 된다.”— 한강 작가Somehow, I just wanted to write her words in Korean. Maybe I didn’t want to miss even the smallest message hidden in them
“Glad to be alive.”— Elon Musk
Nullius in verba: Take nobody's word for it.— The moto of the Royal SocietyJan 2025. It reminds me of the importance of redefining a given problem through my own critical thinking process. Even in the professional design contexts where someone has framed the problem, I believe we should try to understand the context from which the problem stems and the process through which it has been structured. This approach can serve as a shortcut to reaching the essence of the problem, rather than being confined within its predefined boundaries. I believe it provides the lens to see new possibilities bringing us one step closer to a better world.
Mar 2025. It also reminds me of Steve Jobs' words—that many things in the world may have been created by people who are less smart than I am.
“Graduating in a tough tech environment is actually a massive advantage—It makes you tough. It teaches you not to take big salaries and cushy perks for granted and gives you the mindset that taking risks is more affordable. I also graduated during one of the worst recessions. It was really rough. I had to learn how to hustle, connect my inner grit to the opportunities out there, and truly understand my purpose. I needed to figure out how to align my skills with what the industry demanded. ”— Ana, Director of UW MHCI+DShe is one of the people who have influenced me the most. These words of hers gave me the strength to endure the tough times of preparing for grad school last year. She made me dream. She encouraged me to focus on my inner voice. She helped me see challenges as part of the process to become a stronger person with a resilient inner self that harmonizes with the outside world. Also, when she discussed the potential negative impacts of AI, her face was filled with seriousness, as if she bore a great responsibility for the world. I still can’t forget her serious expression and words of wisdom. I truly want to be a beautiful person like her.
“Almost everything all external expectations, all prides, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”— Steve Jobs at Stanford Speech
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.
Innovative companies’ goal is not just to sell to people who need what you have; their goal is to sell to people who believe what you believe.”— Simon Sinek at TEDThis speech broadened my perspective on what the truly valuable mission a company should strive to solve to improve the quality of people’s lives. While using Apple’s iPhone, I have always felt proud of it, even though mine is not the latest model and many others also own an iPhone. Through this speech, I realized the reason behind my thoughts. What I purchased wasn’t just a smartphone, which is readily available in the market. I bought into their belief in the power of thinking differently to provide users with a sense of royalty. A smartphone is something we use daily. If it can make us feel special every day, it can significantly enhance our satisfaction of life. Before watching this video, I shamefully thought that creating something premium is not a noble mission.