In the dynamic world of design, Dieter Rams stands as a beacon of enduring principles. His “10 Principles of Good Design” offer a timeless framework for creating products that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, honest, sustainable, and lasting. As head of design at Braun, Dieter Rams emerged as one of the most influential industrial designers of the late 20th century by defining an elegant, legible, yet rigorous visual language for its products.
Who is Dieter Rams?
Dieter Rams (b. 1932) is a legend of the industrial design world and sometimes referred to as a designer's designer. Formally trained in architecture at the Wiesbaden School of Art in Germany, Dieter Rams spent 40 years at Braun, most of them as the company’s chief design officer. After graduating with honors in 1953, he was hired as a junior architect for a Frankfurt-based firm. After two years at the firm, a colleague noticed a job advertisement in a newspaper looking for an in-house architect and dared Rams to apply. Neither Rams nor his colleague had heard of the company. It was Braun. Rams was hired by Braun as an architect and interior designer to reimagine the company’s workspace. By 1956 he transitioned to designing consumer products for Braun, where after just one year he is widely credited with making Braun a household name.
Dieter Rams' Influence
Dieter Rams’ influence on design is immeasurable. His designs, characterized by simplicity, functionality, and a clear aesthetic, are often cited as the pioneer to modern minimalist design - a movement that values clarity and purpose over embellishment. Many modern-day designers describe Dieter Rams as influential to their work, including famed Apple product designer Jonny Ive. His work at Braun, where he served as chief design officer from 1961 to 1995, set new standards in the industry.
The 10 Principles of Good Design
In the 1970s and 80s, Rams formulated a set of principles that describe his approach to design and the values that drive his work. Rams introduces the 10 principles of good design in the following way; “Some fundamental reflections on the - all things considered - essence of design… [is] summed up in ten simple statements… . They are a helpful means for orientation and understanding. They are not binding. Good design is in a constant state of redevelopment - just like culture and technology”.
1. Good Design is Innovative
The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. The Braun T3 transistor radio, designed by Rams in 1958, was innovative not just for its time but set a precedent for portable electronic devices. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology and can never be an end in itself. The key to innovation, according to Rams, is to harness new technology in a way that enhances the product’s functionality without overcomplicating it.
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2. Good Design Makes a Product Useful
A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional but also psychological and aesthetic. Products need to satisfy certain functional, psychological, and aesthetic criteria. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it. The Braun SK 4 record player, designed in the 1950s, exemplifies this principle by combining functionality with a clean, modern aesthetic that made it a joy to use.
3. Good Design is Aesthetic
The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But well-executed objects can be beautiful. The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness. Products we use every day significantly shape our surroundings and our sense of well-being. Consider the Apple iPhone, whose design ethos clearly draws inspiration from Rams’ minimalism - clean lines, intuitive interfaces, and a focus on user experience. The aesthetic-usability effect tells us that the designs people find more aesthetically pleasing are easier to use than the designs they find less aesthetically pleasing. People form quick, even instant impressions, and aesthetics matter in that instant.
4. Good Design Makes a Product Understandable
It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best it is self-explanatory. Simplicity and intuitiveness are crucial in making a product understandable. It clarifies the product and at best good design makes the product self-explanatory. Rams believed that a well-designed product should be self-explanatory, allowing users to grasp its function without needing an instruction manual. His work with Braun, particularly in their range of household appliances, focused on creating products that were easy to use and intuitive, a practice now ubiquitous in the design of consumer electronics. We can make calls to action clear and minimize potential errors on our sites.
5. Good Design is Unobtrusive
Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression. Good design is like a good tool: it fulfills its purpose without drawing unnecessary attention to itself. Products are neither decorative objects or works of art. Rams’ designs are known for their unobtrusiveness - products like the Braun ET 66 calculator are functional, efficient, and elegantly simple, allowing the user to focus on the task rather than the tool. Focus on solid design principles, grids, and typography. People visit a site for its content, not your design. Focus on simplicity. Don’t call attention to your design.
6. Good Design is Honest
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. Rams emphasized the importance of honesty in design - products should not pretend to be something they are not. They should not manipulate the consumer with false promises. The transparency in Rams’ designs, where form clearly follows function, contrasts sharply with some modern designs that prioritize style over substance. It does not make a product more innovative, powerful, or valuable than it is. Stay away from dark patterns that aim only to manipulate. Always have your visitors' best interest in mind. Take the time to understand your client, your client’s goals, the goals of your client’s customers. Being genuine is advice we’ve all received since the first time we encountered another human being.
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7. Good Design is Long-Lasting
It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years - even in today’s throwaway society. In an age of disposability, Rams’ principle of longevity is more relevant than ever. Good design, he argued, should avoid being fashionable and instead focus on enduring quality. His products, many of which are still in use today, were designed to last, both in terms of functionality and aesthetic appeal. Follow solid design principles over the latest trends. You can design for flexibility and growth. Your design can adapt to the new without needing to significantly change. Trends change quickly.
8. Good Design is Thorough Down to the Last Detail
Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect toward the consumer. Every aspect of a design matters, and nothing should be left to chance. Attention to detail reflects a respect for the consumer. Rams’ approach ensures that every element of a product contributes to its overall quality and usability, as seen in the meticulous design of the Braun wall clocks, where even the smallest detail is carefully considered. Nothing should be arbitrary or left to chance. Attention to detail matters. Correct typos. Write clean and semantic code. Don’t rush a design or decide it’s good enough. Seek an unattainable perfection. In some cases the extra attention to detail will delight your audience. In other cases, they may never notice the actual detail but will have a better experience with your design.
9. Good Design is Environmentally Friendly
Good 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. Long before sustainability became a buzzword, Rams advocated for environmentally friendly design. He believed that good design should minimize environmental impact, from production through to disposal. This principle has only gained importance as designers today grapple with the environmental challenges posed by mass production and consumerism. Optimizing for speed can lead to less processing power on computers and servers. Scrivs suggests thinking of the environment as the user and reducing wasted motion for your visitors. Needless decoration is noise and pollution.
10. Good Design is as Little Design as Possible
Less but better - because it concentrated on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with inessentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity! Less is more - this mantra is central to Rams’ philosophy. He believed in stripping a design down to its essential elements, removing any superfluous features. This approach not only creates products that are easy to use and understand but also contributes to their aesthetic appeal. Rams’ designs are a masterclass in restraint, demonstrating that simplicity can be the ultimate sophistication. Again focus on solid design principles. Aim for simplicity and minimalism.
15 Questions Design Teams Should Ask Themselves
Rams outlined 15 questions a design team should ask themselves about the product they’re designing in order to produce a well-designed result. These are his questions.
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- Is the product that we are designing really necessary?
- Will it really enrich people’s lives or does it just appeal to their covetousness, possessiveness, or ideas of status?
- Is it conceived for the short- or long-term, does it just help increase the speed of the cycle of throwaway goods or does it help to slow it down?
- Can it be simply repaired or does it rely on an expensive customer service facility?
- Can it in fact be repaired at all or is the whole appliance rendered redundant when just one part of it breaks?
- Does it exhibit fashionable, and therefore aesthetically short-lived, design elements?
- Does it help people or incapacitate them?
- Does it make them more free or more dependent?
- Is it so accomplished and perfect that it perhaps incapacitates or humiliates you?
- Which previous human activity does it replace and can that really be called progress?
- What possibilities for change, what scope does the product offer people?
- Can the product be used in other, perhaps playful, ways?
- Does the product really offer convenience or does it encourage passivity?
- What does the expected improvement look like in the broader context?
- Does it make an action or activity on the whole more complicated or simpler; is it easy to operate or do you have to learn how to use it?
Real-World Applications: Rams’ Legacy in Modern Design
The influence of Rams’ principles can be seen in many of today’s most successful products. Apple, perhaps more than any other company, has openly acknowledged its debt to Rams’ design philosophy. The iPhone, MacBook, and even the user interface design of iOS reflect Rams’ principles of simplicity, clarity, and honesty. In architecture, the work of John Pawson, often dubbed the “father of modern minimalism,” echoes Rams’ principle of “as little design as possible.” Pawson’s buildings, like Rams’ products, focus on essential forms, eliminating unnecessary details to create spaces that are functional and serene. Even in fashion, brands like Muji and Uniqlo, which prioritize functionality and simplicity over flamboyance, embody Rams’ philosophy. Their products are designed to serve the user, not to make a statement, aligning with the idea that good design is unobtrusive and honest.