These are the Ten Commandments of Good Design as outlined by Dieter Rams, a German industrial designer closely affiliated with the Functionalist school of thought and whom also held office at consumer products company Braun for 40-some years. Rams’ penchant for rationalist design has persisted through the svelte silhouettes of some of our most familiar domestic objects. As per his quasi-aphorism of the modernist credo “less is more”; “less but better” succinctly permits that the designs have remained intuitively purposeful, and irresistably timeless.
Jony Ives — head of design for Apple — frequently references Rams in his work for the company and gives wide praise for Rams’ contribution to what we know as modern design.
Rams’ work is “bold, pure, perfectly-proportioned, coherent and effortless.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Truly, I am enamored by Rams’ entire philosophy.
Perhaps I’m a little more obsessed with lounge chair design and Helvetica font than the next fellow, but realizing the potential of Rams’ words definitely follows an intuitive realization of how you can pick-and-choose what is best for your needs.
You are capable of designing your lifestyle and regulating the parameters of quality living. Life should be “bold, pure, perfectly-proportioned, coherent and effortless.” Less is more, and less is better.
Since we’re mostly young adults with limited disposable income, it might seem wise to go for the massive Boxing Day sales to capitalize on cool products at cheap costs. Now, I’m not saying it’s bad to like to shop (I can be a raging proponent of capitalism when I guilt myself into retail therapy), but know your products. How did the #normcore “trend” become such the pinnacle of mid-2010s cyber hype and atelier devotion (see Mansur Gavriel, Everlane, Gap, Levi’s)?
Because it is what it is — a testament to “normal” plainclothes dressing and understated luxury — a deliberation on effortless simplicity. It is the cognition of timelessness. And the subversion of trendiness.
Alas, quality is a choice, because to design is to decide. Decide on how you are going to spend your money; don’t let your quality of living be influenced by a marketer’s hand. Buying for quantity is excess. (Unless you can get great produce deals at the grocery store.) Does it not seem more persuasive to invest in a few classic, timeless pieces, than to persist in “trends”?
Devote to local designers and responsible companies (how likely is it that that shirt from H&M was heralded from the fruits of child labour?). It’s unfortunate enough that it’ll probably be destroyed after the first wash, worse if it impinges on your moral compass.
“Unnecessary, false, dishonest products; these are the things that make me angry.”
– Dieter Rams in an interview by Gary Hustwit
Can it be disposed in an environmentally-friendly manner? Can it be disposed of in fair condition when I no longer have use for it? Will this product seamlessly fit into the layout of my home? Are all of these functions really necessary? These are some questions to ask of a product’s design.
When your money leaves your bank account, it better feel like a sound investment for quality and functionality. If not, you don’t need it, and you’ll probably toss it sooner, rather than later.
Minimalism is often portrayed rather glamorously in Tumblr blogs and Pinterest posts, imposing limitations on the ideology behind decluttered living. But beyond the clean greys and crisp white linens, minimalist design is a social, political, and economic philosophy that attempts to reclaim the essence of living — unobstructed by excess consumption.
Photos found on http://arttattler.com