10 Principles of Good Design

Ten Principles for Good Design

By: Dieter Rams

“Less, but better.”

- Dieter Rams

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Ten Principles for Good Design By: Dieter Rams

Project 8: Booklet Design

By: Vatthana Long

Intro to Computer Graphics

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Dieter Rams b. 1932

Dieter Rams is one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century known for his dedication to precise and orderly design. Born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1932, he was profoundly influenced by the work of his grandfather, a carpenter.

At sixteen he began courses in interior design followed by a three4

year carpentry internship. In 1953, he joined Otto Apel’s architecture office in Frankfurt where he collaborated with Skidmore, Owings and Merril on the planning of the U.S. Consulate buildings in West Germany.

Shortly thereafter he was recruited by the German consumer electronics manufacturer Braun in 1955. In 1956,

in collaboration with mentors from the Ulm School of Design, his design which displayed the mechanics of the SK4 radio and record player through transparent plastic put his design work on the map.

For nearly thirty-five years, Rams was the Head of Design at Braun beginning in 1961 through 1995. During this time he launched a range of iconic products including audio equipment, watches, calculators, and a furniture collection for Vitsoe.

1997. While an accomplished industrial designer, Rams’ only architectural project was his personal home built near Frankfurt, Germany.

In 2010, Rams was awarded the Kölner Klopfer, a yearly awarded prize by students of Köln International School of Design honoring the Designer of the Year. His work has been exhibited worldwide including a 2011 retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

He strove to develop products that were both aesthetically simplistic and easy to operate. His “less, but better” approach to design is iconic and has influenced modern-day companies such as Apple.

In 1995 he became the Executive Director of corporate identity affairs at Braun until his retirement that in 5

Good Design is Innovative

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The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted.

Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

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TP 1 Radio/Phono Combination

by Dieter Rams for Braun (1959) 7

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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. Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

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MPZ 21 Multipress Citrus Juicer

by Dieter Rams and Jürgen Greubel for Braun (1972)

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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 only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

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RT 20 Tisch Super Radio,

by Dieter Rams for Braun (1961)

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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.

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RT 20 Tisch Super Radio

by Dieter Rams for Braun (1961)

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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 both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

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Cylindric T 2 Lighter

by Dieter Rams for Braun (1968)

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Good Design is Honest

It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.

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Radio-Phonograph (Model SK 4â „10)

by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot for Braun (1956)

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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.

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620 Chair Program

by Dieter Rams for Vitsœ (1962)

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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 towards the user.

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ET 66 Calculator

by Dietrich Lubs for Braun (1987)

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Good Design is EnvironmentallyFriendly

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.

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606 Universal Shelving System

by Dieter Rams for Vitsœ (1960)

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Good Design is as Little Design as Possible

Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

Back to purity, back to simplicity.

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PS 2 Stereo Turntable

by Dieter Rams for Braun (1963)

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