What is Good Design by Dieter Rams
by Dieter Rams
What is Good Design? When we delve into the world of design, we uncover a realm where brilliance, elegance, and excellence converge seamlessly. Dieter Rams, a renowned pioneer in the field, crafted his “10 Principles for Good Design” as a beacon for designers to create remarkable and timeless products. These principles encapsulate the very essence of superior craftsmanship, setting the stage for what we often refer to as “exquisite design”. Join us as we journey through these principles to understand the core of what makes truly exceptional.
Dieter Rams
was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1932. He was strongly influenced by the presence of his grandfather who was a carpenter. Rams’s early awards for carpentry led him to train as an architect, as Germany was rebuilt in the early 1950s.
Prompted by an eagle-eyed friend, Rams applied for a job at the German electrical products company, Braun, in 1955. He was recruited by Erwin and Artur Braun following the death of their father and his job was to modernize the interiors of the company that was launching revolutionary electrical products.
Back in the late 1970s, Dieter Rams was becoming increasingly concerned by the state of the world around him – “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colours and noises.” Aware that he was a significant contributor to that world, he asked himself an important question:
is my Design Good?
As it cannot be measured in a finite way he set about expressing the ten most important principles for what he considered was good design. Sometimes they are referred as the ‘Ten commandments’.
Here they are.
the Ten Commandments
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. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.
#innovative
#useful
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. The design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.
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 only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
#aesthetic
#understandable
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.
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 both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.
#unobtrusive
#honest
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.
7
Good design is long-lasting
It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashion, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.
#longlasting
last #detail
8
Good design is thorough down to the last detail
Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the process show respect towards the user.
9
Good design is environmentally friendly
Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.
#environmentally friendly
#minimalist
10
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.
As we navigate through Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles for Good Design, we discover that these principles are a compass guiding us toward “exceptional craftsmanship”.
