back to purity, back to simplicity

Dieter Rams will never cease to inspire me. His influence can clearly be felt decades after he created some of the most most beautiful and interesting industrial design for Braun and Vitsœ, most notably in the work of Jonathan Ive at Apple. Dieter Rams' Ten Principles for Good Design was written when he was concerned about the state of the world around him, which had become "an impenetrable confusion of forms, colours and noises." This fear, and these ideas, are so pertinent today.

1. Good design is innovative

2. Good design makes a product useful

3. Good design is aesthetic

4. Good design makes a product understandable

5. Good design is unobtrusive

6. Good design is honest

7. Good design is long-lasting

8. Good design is thorough, down to the last detail

9. Good design is environmentally-friendly

10. Good design is as little design as possible

for more on these ten principles go here

images clockwise from top left: Braun radio 1961, Dieter Rams, Vitsœ Shelving System 1960, Braun radio/phono combo 1959, Braun speaker 1958