Blip.059: Dieter Rams and the Details

They are everything.

“My heart belongs to the details. I actually always found them to be more important than the big picture. Nothing works without details. They are everything, the baseline of quality.”

—Dieter Rams

I have a bunch of design heroes, and one of the biggest ones is Dieter Rams. He’s created some of the most iconic products of the 20th century and his work has inspired countless other designers over the years, including Sir Jony Ive who took cues from the Braun T3 when developing the iPod. He is most known for products he designed for Braun, where he was design director from 1961 to 1997. At the core of his design ethos are ten principles that guide every project. I actually have a poster of them hanging in my studio.

In 2018, filmmaker Gary Hustwit created “a documentary portrait of Dieter Rams, one of the most influential designers alive, and a rumination on consumerism, sustainability, and the future of design.” It’s a brilliant look at the life and legacy of a designer who has stayed not just relevant, but at the forefront of great design for more than 50 years. One particular clip has Dieter walking through the Vitra Design Museum in Germany pointing out things he doesn’t like and why he doesn’t like them.

LINKS
Dieter Rams: The legendary designer who influenced Apple
What We’ve Learned from Dieter Rams, and What We’ve Ignored
Dieter Rams: Less but Better

BOOKS
Less, But Better
Dieter Rams: The Complete Works
Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams

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