Dieter Rams’s ten principles for good design.
His aesthetics influenced Apple designer Jonathan Ive and many Apple products pay tribute to his work for Braun.
- is innovative – technological development is always offering new opportunities for original designs
- makes a product useful – products are bought to be used. It satisfies the criteria of not just function, but psychological and aesthetic
- is aesthetic – aesthetic is integral to its usefulness, products have an effect on people's well-being.
- makes a product understandable – it can make the product talk, at best, it is self-explanatory
- is unobstrusive – should be neutral and restrained, leaving room for the user's self expression
- is honest – does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable that it really is
- is long-lasting – avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated
- is thorough down to the last detail – care and accuracy shows respect towards consumer
- is environmentally friendly – conserves resources, minimizes physical and visual pollution
- is as little design as possible – less, but better, concentrates on the essential aspects