The credo “less, but better” neatly describes a design ethos spearheaded between 1960s – 1990s by the head of design at consumer products company Braun, whose influence can be seen in many of today’s products created by Apple Inc. But are there any lessons for the rest of us?
Dieter Rams became the head of design at Braun in 1961 and oversaw the design of many of that company’s celebrated products, including radios, LP players, calculators and kitchen appliances, to name but a few. Many of the simple, functional designs have since been citied as key influences on Jonathan Ive, Head of Design at Apple; indeed, a cursory glance at some Braun products from the 1960’s reveals some intriguing similarities, such as the T3 Pocket Radio, which bears a striking resemblance to the iconic iPod.
Underpinning these designs are ten principles of good design coined by Rams’s team. Decades later, it could be argued that many of these principles are still as relevant as they have ever been: although written with industrial design in mind, there are parallels that can be drawn with any design process.
The principles are that good design:
1. Is Innovative – technology enables innovative design but cannot be an end in itself. Encourage innovation but not at the expense of basic best practice.
2. Make A Product Useful – emphasise the usefulness of a product and disregard anything that could detract from it. Control your scope – question whether low priorities or ‘bells and whistles’ are required.
3. Is Aesthetic – The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful.
4. Makes A Product Understandable – some of the best products are intuitive or even self-explanatory.
5. Is Unobtrusive – neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user's self-expression. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best.
6. Is Honest – products do not attempt to manipulate the user with promises that cannot be kept.
7. Is Long-lasting – It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated, allowing it to last many years. Future proofing of solutions aids longevity.
8. Is Thorough Down to the Last Detail – Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance.
9. Is Environmentally Friendly – Good design conserves resources and minimises waste.
10. 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. Avoid over engineering where a simpler, more elegant solution is available.
It would be a stretch to claim that all of these principles equally apply to other industries; indeed there are few companies in the world that are reputed to design according to these principles. While it is easy to visualise how they could permeate designs of consumer products, an argument could be make for championing a number of these principles in any design process. Any solution that is not thought down to the last detail is liable to have problems coming home to roost later down the line. Being ambitious in the pursuit of goals whilst remaining honest about the capability of a product should build credibility and trust in the long-term. Minimising waste conserves valuable resources, be they money, effort, physical items or management time.
And as for the central theme of less, but better, perhaps there is something many of us can learn about concentrating on fewer, exceptionally executed essentials. After all, who wouldn’t want their end product to be beautiful?
Posted by Daniel Birchwood on Monday the 16th of January 2012
Sources:
http://gizmodo.com/343641/1960s-braun-products-hold-the-secrets-to-apples-future
