Industrial Design
Dieter Rams
1932— Present
Less, but better
Biography
Dieter Rams is a German industrial designer closely associated with the consumer products company Braun and the furniture company Vitsœ. His work spans six decades, but he is most celebrated for the functional, minimal product designs he created at Braun from 1961 to 1995. Rams articulated his design approach through ten principles that have influenced generations of designers, from Jonathan Ive at Apple to the creators of modern software interfaces. His philosophy rejects ornament in favor of honest, understandable, and environmentally conscious design.
The 10 Principles
#1 core
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.
#2 core
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 emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.
#3 core
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.
#4 core
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 core
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.
#6 core
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 core
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.
#8 core
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.
#9 core
Good design 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 core
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.
Notable Quotes
"Weniger, aber besser. (Less, but better.)"
"Good design is as little design as possible."
"Indifference towards people and the reality in which they live is actually the one and only cardinal sin in design."
"I imagine our current situation will cause future generations to shake their heads in disbelief."
"Question everything generally thought to be obvious."
Legacy
Rams' influence extends far beyond product design. His ten principles—especially "Good design is as little design as possible"—have become a litmus test for quality across disciplines. The phrase "Weniger, aber besser" (Less, but better) encapsulates a design philosophy where every element must justify its existence. His work at Braun established the visual language of modern consumer electronics: clean lines, neutral colors, and interfaces that explain themselves. Today, his principles guide software design, architecture, and organizational thinking.