[Design] is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

Steve Jobs made this remark while explaining Apple’s philosophy that design is inseparable from engineering and usability. It is widely traced to a 2003 interview conducted by Rob Walker for The New York Times Magazine, in which Jobs discussed Apple’s approach to product development and the common misconception that “design” means surface styling. In that context, Jobs emphasized that true design involves how a product functions for the user—its clarity, intuitiveness, and integration of hardware and software—rather than mere visual appeal. The line has since been repeatedly quoted in discussions of user experience, industrial design, and product management as a succinct statement of Apple’s design ethos.

The quote argues against treating design as decoration. Jobs reframes design as a holistic discipline that includes function, interaction, and problem-solving: what matters is not only a product’s appearance or tactile “feel,” but whether it works well—reliably, simply, and in a way that matches human expectations. Implicitly, it elevates usability and coherence (how parts fit together, how software behaves, how a user learns the system) as aesthetic values in their own right. The statement also critiques organizations that bolt “design” on at the end; for Jobs, design must shape the product from the inside out, aligning form with purpose.