DESIGN

DIETER RAMS IS AN EDUCATION

the enduring philosophy of the 20th century's greatest designer

By Xinyu Wang

A Work of Simple Beauty

Dieter Rams was born in Germany on May 20, 1932, and he is well-known for his work in industrial design. Over the past 50 years, Rams has had a revolutionary impact on product design, and especially his work for the German electronics company, Braun. For nearly three decades, Rams was in control of the function and look of hundreds of consumer products, ranging from radio to alarm clocks, and juicers to record players. Many people today have at least one appliance in their home that is inspired by the genius that is Dieter Rams, although they may not be aware of the fact, which is how Rams would have wanted it.

As a young child growing up after the end of the Second World War, Rams was part of a generation dedicated to rebuilding Germany and its institutions. Instead of starting his own company from the ground up, Rams chose to modernize a company that was already well-established. Recruited by the Braun brothers in 1955, Rams quickly became the head of design at the company from 1961 to 1995.

In this role, Rams was responsible for leading a design team that focused on domestic electrical products along with some furniture. Braun was already well-known for its radios, record players, and combined hi-fi units; however, Rams made electric shavers, a key business segment along with kitchen machines, and juicers. These new products were particularly appealing to the international market. Further innovations included hand-held hair dryers, with a focus on ergonomics and ease of handling, along with clocks, watches, and calculators. Although this collection of products may seem to have no connection, they all featured Rams distinctive style and, more importantly, embodied his philosophy of design.

The Man in his well-dressed simplicity

In the late 1970s, Rams became concerned about the world around him, particularly the way industrial design related to the environment. He came up with ten basic principles of good design, and these beliefs served Rams for the rest of his career. They included among the most important innovation, usefulness, aesthetic beauty, ease of use, longevity, environmentally friendly, and as little design as possible. Although many of Rams’ products are no longer in production, these simple principles are the basis to a great deal of the modern consumer products that we have come to know and love. In a way, we’re all living in Ram’s philosophy now.

Rams has also had a great influence on the minimalist movement that is growing in popularity today. His functional approach was considered revolutionary at the time, but now people take this style of design for granted. Although Rams did not venture into communications, there are many present-day products, such as the Apple iPhone, that are clearly the result of his ideas. Rams used a term, gestaltingenieur, and it refers to a creative engineer. This requires thinking ahead to produce what the customer will want tomorrow, not what they think that want today. It is about predicting future needs.

The Perfect Book Shelf

We can see this concept come to play when we look at two radically different Rams products: his Vi bookshelf system and his Braun electric razor. According to Braun, you never exhaust the possibilities of innovation, and we can see that in how he thinks about these basic products.

The Vi bookshelf system is still in use today. The great thing about this product is that it is customizable, so consumers can alter it to suit their needs. They can store books or their plastic Pokemon collection. It is easy to assemble, with no extraneous parts to get it up and running. Best of all, the system is designed to use up all unneeded space and balance with the other furniture in the room. In a stunning way, the system almost redesigns itself to fit multiple needs and uses.

On the other hand, Rams was also behind many different designs of the Braun razor. One example was in 1973, when Rams, in conjunction with others, created the Sixtant 8008. The photo below shows two Rams innovations: tiny, horizontal striations to increase grip, along with a new type of slider button. The slider is basic, but it also offers a physical ridge so that the thumb can easily move it backward and forward. At the time this was revolutionary breakthrough, as most razors were both larger and almost deliberately difficult to handle. Braun knew that functionality was the most important feature and his razor made ease of use a design value.

Anyone can use it

Looking at these two products, we realize that a good design has to serve a particular purpose. The two products satisfy functional, psychological, and aesthetic criteria. They do the job. The bookshelf serves the purpose of storing books and lots of them, and the shaver serves the function of shaving and allowing men to do so with ease. At the same time, the bookshelf and the shaver are both appealing and beautiful, thus satisfying our psychological need for feel that our lives are more than just a series of dreary tasks. The aesthetics in each of these products makes them very beautiful and appealing to use. For instance, the wood in the bookshelf is long-lasting and allows for a wonderful mix of colors.

Also, looking at the two products, we conclude that good design is self-explanatory. The two products talk: “I serve the purpose of storing books” and “I serve the purpose of shaving.” The neutrality and restraint of the design leaves space for the user. They are neither more innovative nor more powerful than they need to be. They do not try to impress or manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be fulfilled.

And only ten

“We hear quite often that less is more, but what about less is better.” This Rams epigram epitomizes the way he viewed consumer goods. Rams knew what people wanted, and he dedicated his life to providing convenience and ease of use for millions of families worldwide. Today, Rams is 86 and lives in Wiesbaden, Germany. His small yet functional home is filled with many products that he designed decades ago. But his vision is everywhere and we are better off for how that vision has spread around the world.

©Xinyu Wang and the CCA Arts Review