Dieter Rams: 10 Principles Of Good Design

[AllanCavendish]

Dieter Rams was a big name during my education. He has great influence from his tenure at Braun and many of his designs still inspire and influence modern designers. For those who seek to refine their craftsmanship, and who have not heard of him, I thought it would be interesting to share his thoughts.

Good Design:

1: is innovative – 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.

2: makes a product useful – 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.

3: is aesthetic – The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

4: makes a product understandable – It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user's intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory.

5: is unobtrusive – 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.

6: is honest – It does not make a product appear more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

7: 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.

8: is thorough down to the last detail – Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.

9: is environmentally friendly – 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.

10: is as little design as possible – Less, but better. Simple as possible but not simpler. Good design elevates the essential functions of a product.

I admit, I personally find some of his work to be a bit too minimalistic and utilitarian (how very German of him), however I find all of these to be good points. Many of the tools, products, items, and artifacts we purchase nowadays are not made to last. They present themselves as valuable, more innovative than they are. They try to be trendy, they compete for your dollar. Nowadays, it is a rare find indeed to come across a quality, elegant item that does its job well for years and years.

[trevor123]

Send this to Ikea HQ. They must simply be mistaken. How could one be expected to know that the product should exist as the product before it exists as a funnel for cash flow into the corporate enterprise?

[MCCSoft]

"The function of a good software is to make the complex appear to be simple."

Everything in life is make or break it at the interface. If you cant sell a product it doesn't matter if it's good or not.

Just some added nuance to his teachings: people might be stupid, but it doesn't mean everything needs to be created for stupid people. You wouldn't want to operate a fighter jet with an idiot button for example.