How German Industrial Designer Dieter Rams Forever Altered the Fate of Apple Products

Berfin Ceren Meray
Onedio Member
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Explore the indelible legacy of visionary German industrial designer Dieter Rams, the mastermind behind several iconic products for Braun. Rams' profound and nuanced influence has left an enduring mark on Apple's design ethos, shaping a legacy that extends both deep and wide in the world of industrial design.

Rams was a name associated with the philosophy of "Less, but better."

He advocated for the idea that good design focuses on the essentials to create clean and pure products, promoting the concept that as few designs as possible constitute good design.

At the time, Jony Ive, a designer, was leading Apple's design department.

One of his major design inspirations was Dieter Rams' uniquely simple designs.

Ive managed to borrow design elements from Dieter Rams' Braun designs.

We can clearly see how Apple incorporated Rams' Ten Principles of Good Design into its own ethical understanding.

Here are the 10 Design Principles Rams used at Braun:

  • Good design is innovative.

  • Good design makes a product useful.

  • Good design is aesthetic.

  • Good design makes a product understandable.

  • Good design is unobtrusive.

  • Good design is honest.

  • Good design is long-lasting.

  • Good design makes a product feel high quality down to the last detail.

  • Good design is environmentally friendly.

  • Good design is as little design as possible.

These principles constitute the unwavering foundation for Rams to deliver innovative, useful, and aesthetic designs.

They are the elements that have become synonymous with Apple products.

The elegant lines of the MacBook, the intuitive interface of the iPhone, and the understated elegance of the Apple Watch – all are, in essence, the reluctant legacy of German industrial designer Dieter Rams to Apple.