„In English, the word design is both a noun and a verb (…). As a noun, it means – among other things -„intention“, „plan“, „intent“, „aim“, „scheme“, „plot“, „motif“, „basic structure“, all these (and other meanings) being connected with „cunning“ and „deception“.
As a verb (‚to design‘), meanings include „to concoct something“, „to simulate“, „to draft“, „to sketch“, „to fashion“, „to have designs on something“. The word is derived from the Latin signum, meaning sign, and shares the same ancient root. Thus, etymologically, design means „de-sign“
This raises the question: How has the word design come to achieve its present-day significance throughout the world?“
– The Shape of Things: A Philosophy of Design. Vilém Flusser. Reaktion Books, Limited, 1999, pp. 17