The 10 Timeless Principles of Good Design
Tags: gooddesign, design, dieterrams
Published: 2024-01-01 16:00:28

Design is often thought of as the art of making something beautiful. But any designer will tell you that good design involves a lot more than just aesthetic design.

> “To use design to impress, to polish things up, to make them chic, is no design at all. This is packaging.”

These words were spoken by the acclaimed industrial designer, Dieter Rams, during a speech he gave in New York in 1976, entitled ‘Design by Vitsœ’.

## Introduction

[Dieter Rams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams), often nicknamed the **“godfather of design,”** is a legendary industrial designer, who's [_"less but better"_](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22005475-less-but-better-weniger-aber-besser) approach inspired a generation of products, is famed for writing the [Ten Principles of Good Design]((https://www.vitsoe.com/us/about/good-design)). Even though Good design is subjective and can't necessarily be measured, Dieter Rams attempted to express what he believed good design should be into 10 important principles which have become iconic and have inspired designers across the world.

## Who is Dieter Rams

If you are a designer, a design enthusiast, or into any form of design then you've probably heard of [Dieter Rams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams), most closely associated with the consumer products company Braun, the furniture company Vitsoe, and the functionalist school of industrial design but most especially his world renown _'almost timeless'_ famous **Ten Principles for Good Design** which have been a key consideration in the design of many products and brands for so many years as we know and recognise them today.

[Dieter Rams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams) was born in Wiesbaden Germany in 1932. He was strongly influenced by his grandfather who was a carpenter for it was with him Dieter first discovered his love of design. Under his guidance, Dieter mastered the art of building and repairing structures from wood and other materials, and he even earned a few awards in carpentry.

This led him to train as an architect during the 1950s, when Germany was rebuilding itself after the war and also applied for a job at the German electrical products company Braun in 1955 prompted by his friend.

Dieter was hired to work in the interior of its offices and quickly became involved in product design. Within a few years, he became Braun’s Chief of Design and held the position for almost 35 years. Along with his design team, he designed some of the most iconic domestic electrical products and furniture of the 20th century.

During his 40 years at Braun, Dieter Rams produced and oversaw 500 innovative products as chief of design and was one of the first famous designers to strive for being environmentally friendly before it was popular. He believed _"design can and must maintain its contribution towards protecting and sustaining the environment."_

[Dieter Rams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams) has influenced many designers and creators around the world.

## The Origin of the 10 Principles Of Design

In the late 1970s, [Dieter Rams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams) was becoming increasingly interested in the world of things that surrounded him – “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colours and noises.” As a designer, Rams was aware that he played an important role in the world he was helping create, he asked himself an important question: is my design good design?

> It's no surprise then, that Rams's Ten Principles of Good Design remain at the center of today's industrial design education and are frequently cited by some of our most admired designers. —[From Article By Molly Millette.](https://www.core77.com/posts/54133/Finally-the-Dieter-Rams-Documentary-Weve-Been-Waiting-For)

However, the **10 Principles of Good Design** were written in 1976 – a world without the internet, at a time when climate change wasn’t in the daily headlines to be simple guidelines for good design.

### 1. Good design is innovative.

The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself._

### 2. Good design makes a product useful.

A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

### 3. Good design is aesthetic.

The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

### 4. Good design makes a product understandable.

It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory._

### 5. Good design is unobtrusive.

   _Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression._

### 6. Good design is honest.

It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

### 7. Good design is long-lasting.

It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.

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

Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the user._

### 9. Good design is environmentally-friendly.

Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

### 10. Good design is as little design as possible.

Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.

published in [**The power of good design** _Dieter Rams’s ideology, engrained within Vitsœ_](https://www.vitsoe.com/us/about/good-design)

Dieter Rams’ _10 timeless design Principles_ are proof of his minimalist and functional approach to design and his professional stand. This is why making these principles part of our design values and philosophies be it — UX design, UI Design, Graphics Design, Software Design, Systems Design, Design Systems, or Design Thinking to mention but a few, is good for systems thinking, product Design/Development or service delivery.

>“In 1957 I began to develop a storage system that formed the basis of the company Vitsœ, which was founded in 1959. Thus the ideology behind my design is engrained within the company.” —Dieter Rams

In 1995, he published the book [“Less but Better”](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22005475-less-but-better-weniger-aber-besser) reporting his design philosophy and his main products produced at Braun. His work has a quality that distinguishes it from the vast majority of industrial design in the mid-twentieth century.

> _“Good design gives the opportunity of feeling at home in our culture. Poor design is instant and is an exploitation of human weaknesses,”_ said Rams.

According to Rams, designers being the critics of civilization, society, and technology, can serve a common purpose in cooperation rather than trying to eliminate their competitors from the race by working together towards a more humane future through innovative design.


## References

* [What is "Good" Design? A quick look at Dieter Rams' Ten Principles](https://designmuseum.org/discover-design/all-stories/what-is-good-design-a-quick-look-at-dieter-rams-ten-principles)
* [Ten Principles for Good Design](https://az.design/ten-principles-for-good-design/)
* [10 Design Principles for a Better World](https://www.10designprinciples.com/)
* [Dieter Rams: 10 Timeless Commandments for Good Design](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/dieter-rams-10-timeless-commandments-for-good-design)
* [Dieter Rams and the ten rules of good design](https://www.linearity.io/blog/dieter-rams/)
* YouTube Video:[Ten principles for design: Dieter Rams | Design Stories](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxxKoXQzFak&ab_channel=DesignStories)
* YouTube Video:[Uncovering the design philosophy of Lu Yongzhong | Braun | British GQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTP5hdwdF_M&ab_channel=BritishGQ)
* YouTube Video: [Ten Principles for Good Design By Dieter Rams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wChkvofR7Q0&ab_channel=BauhausMovement)  
* [How Dieter Rams Made Braun Look Cool](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/06/arts/design/how-dieter-rams-made-braun-an-it-brand.html)
* [Finally, the Dieter Rams Documentary We've Been Waiting For](https://www.core77.com/posts/54133/Finally-the-Dieter-Rams-Documentary-Weve-Been-Waiting-For)
* [Dieter Rams: Good design, for people](https://www.merchantandmakers.com/dieter-rams/)
* [Dieter Rams and the Design Journey](https://aposto.com/s/dieter-rams-and-the-design-journey)
* [Dieter Rams: Ethics and Modern Philosophy. What Legacy Today?](https://github.com/intellusug/designstudio/blob/main/resources/Dieter%20Rams%20Ethics%20and%20Modern%20Philosophy.pdf)
* [Dieter Rams and 10 principles for good design](https://uxdesign.cc/dieter-rams-and-ten-principles-for-good-design-61cc32bcd6e6)

## Tags

``Design History``, ``Design Principles``, ``Good Design``, ``Dieter Rams``, ``The Design Museum``, ``Braun``, ``Vitsoe``, ``Design``, ``Product Design``, ``Innovation``, ``Design Thinking``, ``Design Process``