Dieter Rams is an industrial designer that has
made large contributions to the world of design. He has being influential by
his ten principles of good design to his recent book titled, Less and more:
the design ethos of Dieter Rams. Dieter Rams was born May 20th,
1932 in Germany and studied architecture at the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden. Once
Rams got on his feet he started working for Braun and became the chief of
design there for over thirty years designing products of all kinds. He retired
in 1998 but still remains active in the world of design.
The ten principles of good design are based
around the “Weniger, aber besser” which means “Less, but better.” The
principles explain to designers what to do in order to make a successful
design. He makes points regarding innovation, and how since technology is
always moving forward there is always room for innovative design. He explains a
balance between making something look aesthetically appealing, and still making
it a useful product. A design should be simple enough that it reads well with
the user and is easily understood. If a design is good enough it will still be
around many years to come. He even touches bases on the environment and how
design should not end up creating waste. Mostly he explains design as only the essentials
and that there should be as little of it as possible.
In Rams retirement, with the help of Gestalten
Books, he has worked on and came out with a book, Less and More. This thick book outlines Ram’s design
philosophy with a numerous amount of fascinating designs and sketches by Dieter
Rams, most of which from his days with Braun. Rams did a lot of work with audio
equipment making record players, radios and other recording devices. He
designed household items like a pencil sharpener, coffee makers, calculators,
and a computer mouse. Furthermore, he designed furniture like chairs and a
beautiful universal shelving unit. Regardless of what Rams was designing its
clear he kept his principles and believes in mind every step of the way.
The simple and understanding designs he
created will stay around long after he is gone because they live up to his
principles. New designers, and even designers who have been around for a while,
can learn for Dieter Rams and can continue to create good design through his
teachings. A confused designer having trouble finishing a design can start with
Rams belief in less but better and make their way towards ensuring they create
a good design.
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