Dieter Rams, a towering figure in modern design, has left an indelible mark on the world with his philosophy of "less is more." His work at Braun, characterized by functionality, simplicity, and clean aesthetics, has set the standard for innovative and functional design. Rams believed that design transcends mere aesthetics; a product, however beautiful, is a failure if it doesn't serve its intended purpose. While the field of interactive design boasts its own luminaries, such as Nielsen Norman, Rams' principles remain fundamental and applicable to contemporary interface design.
Who is Dieter Rams?
Often called the "godfather of design," Dieter Rams is a German industrial designer whose design journey began in his grandfather's carpentry workshop. There, he honed his skills in building and repairing wooden structures, even winning awards for his carpentry. This early experience led him to study architecture in the 1950s, during Germany's postwar reconstruction.
In 1955, Rams transitioned to industrial design, joining Braun, a German electrical products company. Initially working on office interiors, he quickly moved into product design and, within a few years, became Braun's Chief of Design, a position he held for nearly 35 years. Together with his team, he created some of the most iconic domestic electrical products and furniture of the 20th century.
In 1959, Rams began designing furniture for Vitsœ, marking the start of a lasting collaboration. His hugely successful 606 Universal Shelving System, launched in 1960, solidified this partnership, which continues to this day, even after Rams' retirement from Braun in 1997.
The Genesis of the 10 Principles
In the late 1970s, Dieter Rams grew increasingly concerned about the state of the world, which he perceived as "an impenetrable confusion of forms, colors, and noises." Recognizing his own contribution to this environment, he questioned whether his designs were truly "good design." This introspection led him to formulate his renowned ten principles, serving as guidelines for what he considered truly good design.
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The 10 Principles of Good Design
Rams' ten principles, developed during his tenure at Braun, offer a comprehensive framework for effective and responsible design. These principles, still relevant today, emphasize innovation, functionality, aesthetics, and environmental consciousness.
1. Good Design is Innovative
Innovation is an inexhaustible resource. Technological advancements constantly present new opportunities for designers. Rams believed that designers should embrace novelty and innovation in their products, leveraging developing technology to push boundaries. The possibilities for progression are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for original designs. But imaginative design always develops in tandem with improving technology, and can never be an end in itself.
However, some argue that good design is not necessarily innovative, and that blindly following rules set by designers of the past may stifle creativity. Good design may instead involve the skillful application of known practices.
2. Good Design Makes a Product Useful
Usefulness is paramount in good design. A product must meet both functional and psychological needs. This principle emphasizes that a product should have a specific purpose, and designers should eliminate anything that detracts from its functionality. A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy not only functional but also psychological and aesthetic criteria. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could detract from it.
This principle has been seen as a precursor to modern usability standards. However, some argue that the focus on "product" is too narrow, and that good design is not always put to the service of products.
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3. Good Design is Aesthetic
Aesthetics are integral to a product's usefulness. The products we use daily affect our well-being, and only well-executed objects can be truly beautiful. The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because the products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
While functionality is fundamental, Rams believed products should also be visually appealing. If we don’t like the look of an object, we are unlikely to use it. Therefore, the aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its purpose. However, some argue that the aesthetic quality of a design is not integral to its usefulness, and that the purpose of good design is often not concerned with beauty.
4. Good Design Makes a Product Understandable
Good design should be self-explanatory and intuitive. It should clarify the product’s function and provide basic instructions without overwhelming the user. It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.
A good design can speak for itself, without asking the user to commit much effort: showing is better than telling. If a user can intuitively deduce what to do with your design, that’s ace! If you have to compose instructions to get him/her to interact with it, that’s not so ace. In your design, think about this: can you cut down the user’s cognitive load so that the design has already done the thinking for him or her, and all the user has to do is go along with it and interact?
Rams believed that good design should clarify how a product functions. When a user is able to understand and use a design immediately, without consciously thinking about how to do it, the design can be described as intuitive.
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5. Good Design is Unobtrusive
Good design helps users perform tasks seamlessly, providing clear actions without being distracting. Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should, therefore, be both neutral and restrained to leave room for the user’s self-expression.
Rams believed in a “no fuss” attitude to design. The look of an object or product shouldn’t distract the user from its intended use. By stating that design should be unobtrusive, Rams is asserting the importance of simplicity and usability.
6. Good Design is Honest
A product shouldn’t make promises it can’t deliver. Rams believed a good design should be reliable and durable for its intended purpose. It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.
Designers are responsible for improving user experience and delivering on their promises. Therefore, actions shouldn’t be unambiguous. Instead, they should be honest about what they deliver to the customer.
7. Good Design is Long-lasting
A good design never loses its relevance and avoids fleeting trends. Therefore, rather than following fashionable trends, a good design should strive to remain timeless. It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years - even in today’s throwaway society.
Rather than design for the sake of following a trend, Rams believed designers should really think about how to make their products have that timeless quality.
8. Good Design is Thorough Down to the Last Detail
In design, every detail matters. Details such as accuracy, images, and text should impress and assist the user in everything they do. Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the user.
Designers’ attention to detail can make the product useful, honest, and timeless.
9. Good Design is Environmentally Friendly
A good design should contribute to environmental preservation. Dieter Rams strived to design products that contributed toward protecting the environment. Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.
Rams is famously one of the first designers who strived to be environmentally friendly. He believes, “design can and must maintain its contribution towards protecting and sustaining the environment.” Throughout his career, he has been committed to designing consumer products that are built to last.
10. Good Design is as Simple as Possible
A good design won’t have irrelevant details. Rams championed clean and straightforward designs, believing that less is more. Less, but better - because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.
Achieving minimalism is a tricky skill to master, but Rams’ “Less is more” approach champions clean, straightforward design. Again, usability should always be the focus in design, and more often than not, it’s the simplest designs that are the most functional.
Dieter Rams' Enduring Impact on Design
Dieter Rams' influence on design is undeniable. His principles have shaped numerous fields, and his designs remain relevant and sought-after today. By avoiding fashion trends and focusing on functionality, he created a new form of timeless design that many contemporary artists and designers strive for. Even today, many of Rams’ original designs are still in production-such as the 606 Universal Shelving System from 1960-and those that aren’t are highly sought-after collectibles.
His influence extends to brands like Apple, whose designer Jonathan Ive drew inspiration from Rams' minimalistic style for products like the iPhone and iPad. The iPhone OS 1 calculator app from 2007 is a clear homage to the Braun ET44 (1978) and ET66 (1987) calculators.
Applying the Principles Today
Although Rams created his principles with physical products in mind, they remain relevant to other design fields. Rams created a new form of timeless design that avoids fashion trends. The physical qualities of his designs can be applied to digital products. Think about the best user interfaces you know. They’re likely to have many of the design principles we talked about in this article, such as being honest, understandable, and aesthetically unobtrusive.
Even when designing digital interfaces, we can bring Rams’ commandment on board and make our web designs useful by:
- Making them easy to interact with to the point that the user delights in it. This is user enjoyment through user enablement.
- Our design should always show the user what its function is so that there’s never a gap between what the user perceives the design’s capabilities are and what they truly are.
- Designing with a view to guide our users towards the needed interactions. We must make buttons look like clickable buttons and think about positive and negative interactions. Think of traffic lights: green means go (positive); red means stop (negative).
- Not building unneeded elements into our designs. Remember the 80/20 rule and think carefully before adding every element to avoid the chance of clutter.