Whenever we plant a tree, buy a couch, or start to lay bricks on top of each other, the action is guided by a design. And, consciously or otherwise, a design is just an expression of our plan to address the needs that we believe will be fulfilled by whatever we're making. Giving that design value beyond our own need for it is what makes whatever we create have a purpose beyond that immediate need, and allows it to continue on.
beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. What creates that perception in the mind is how the shape, color, texture, sparkle and other factors relate to something's surroundings, to itself and to what it does. It's a sense of wholeness, not just being pretty.
function follows form. Something might be designed for a specific purpose, but the way it's used will be determined by the people who use it. A useful place or object explains itself, but not in too much detail.
value isn't just for money. Initial price is important, but the value of something isn't in cash; it's how much it can do, with a certain input of resources, over a period of time. Ideally, that value can increase with use and good care, continually providing for the needs of it's users.
meaning can't be built, only given. This can happen over time, randomly or on purpose. A good design considers meaning in every aspect, because it is the factor that most greatly effects all the others. A building with meaning endures beyond it's usefulness and in spite of it's value. An object with meaning is passed on even if ugly or outdated.