Design and writing are remarkably similar pursuits, and it’s not surprising that I enjoy a nice, quippy turn of phrase. So, when Quotes on Design launched last year, I jumped at the chance to stake my claim.

This is a quote (on design), currently attributed to yours truly. It’s an idea that I’ve held dear for a long time, and it feels more true every day. I submitted it in the first days of the site, and I’ve watched it take on a life of its own (via Twitter, blogs in desperate need of content, Flickr, and even school projects).

But, truth be told, I’ve never been 100% certain that I was the first person to write this phrase. With millennia of design history behind us, I’m certainly not the first person to think it. :)

It’s been in my head for so long, I couldn’t tell you how it got there. (Perhaps, that’s design transparency in action.) If nothing else, I thought the public attribution on QoD would be a good (albeit embarrassing) way to actually find the original author. Fortunately for my writing career, no one has said otherwise, yet.

So, this post is my last official attempt at finding out if I’ve swiped someone else’s idea. If I have: please let me know. But if not, expect a officially-licensed version for the next batch of Oxide t-shirts.