Why Every Good Designer Is a Thief (In a Good Way)

There’s a dirty little secret in the design world: originality is overrated. The best logos, posters, and layouts you’ve ever seen? Most are inspired by, borrowed from, or built on something that came before. And that’s not laziness—it’s a creative strategy.

Pablo Picasso said, “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.” He didn’t mean plagiarism. He meant transformation.

When Apple designed the iPod’s click wheel, it wasn’t a brand-new concept. It was inspired by old radio dials and even Japanese design principles of minimalism. When Nike created their iconic swoosh, it echoed the shape of wings from Greek mythology. And the Bauhaus movement? They "borrowed" liberally from constructivist Russian propaganda and early industrial aesthetics.

The best designers don’t stare at blank canvases waiting for genius. They study.

They break down posters, book covers, and UI screens into grids, typography rules, and color harmony. They take apart what works and reassemble it with their own flavor. Like DJs remixing classic tracks—new, but with roots.

Here’s how you can steal like a pro:

1. Create an inspiration vault.Start a private Pinterest board, Notion gallery, or even a folder of screenshots. Save anything that makes you feel something—ads, product labels, movie posters, packaging. The more diverse, the better. This becomes your personal museum.

2. Analyze, don’t just admire.Don’t just say, “Wow, that looks cool.” Ask: Why does it work? Is it the symmetry? The font pairing? The way space is used? Dissect it like a scientist.

3. Remix, don’t replicate.Take a layout from a fashion ad, combine it with the color palette of a vintage travel poster, and apply it to your café logo. That’s remixing. That’s design jazz. Copying one thing is plagiarism. Blending five things? That’s style.

4. Credit your sources when you need to.If you're publicly inspired by someone’s work (especially online), shout them out. It builds trust, transparency, and often sparks collaboration instead of conflict.

5. Eventually, the stealing stops.As you absorb more and remix more, you’ll start to notice your own “style” emerging. A preference for certain colors, a rhythm to your spacing, a tone in your typography. This is when you stop stealing and start shaping.

Originality doesn’t mean creating from a vacuum. It means building something fresh from familiar parts. Don’t wait for ideas to appear. Go out, borrow, break, rebuild—and repeat.

Your next great design is already out there. You just have to see it, steal it (with style), and make it yours.