Steve Jobs — the co-founder of Apple and a visionary in tech — was known for his relentless focus on user experience. This famous quote encapsulates his philosophy that design is fundamentally about how a product works for the user, not just how it appears. In other words, a gadget or app can be gorgeous, but if it’s not intuitive or effective, then the design has failed.

Jobs applied this principle throughout Apple’s products. For example, the original iPod wasn’t the first MP3 player on the market, but its design (both physical and software) made it the easiest to use – that’s what set it apart. The clean look of Apple devices has always been paired with meticulous attention to usability, from the layout of the buttons to the flow of the menus.

This quote continues to inspire designers in all fields. It’s a reminder that good design solves problems. A well-designed website, for instance, guides a user to information effortlessly (how it works), rather than just displaying trendy graphics (how it looks). Jobs’s philosophy encourages creators to consider function and form together, with priority on fulfilling the user’s needs.

Ultimately, Jobs believed that when design truly 'works,' the technology fades into the background and the user is left with a delightful, seamless experience. That is the gold standard of design that continues to influence products and services to this day.