Okay, let's talk about "good design" ladies and gentlemen.
Or a very well known synonym — Mr. Dieter Rams.
Dieter Rams is well…he's an industrial designer by profession.
He's from Wiesbaden, Germany. He completed his studies in architecture and interior decoration
from the Wiesbaden School of Art. He has headed Braun's design for over 40 years.
If Braun seems unfamiliar, or reminds of shavers, know that it is much, much more.
And it does make shavers, very beautiful ones, however.
And it has made a lot of other beautiful things. The genius behind the design of the design
of these beautiful things is none other than Mr. Rams.
And these things, these products, they don't just look good—they function just as well.
And they've left behind such a strong influence — a legacy that you will see in products
today as well — the same design philosophy, that, of "good design."
Dieter Rams listed out his ten principles of good design, which sometimes today are
referred to as the ten commandments of good design.
He mentioned that good is innovative. That good design makes a product useful.
He mentioned that good design is aesthetic. He mentioned that good design makes a product
understandable. That good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is honest. It is long lasting.
And it is thorough, down to the last detail. Good design is environmentally friendly.
And last but not the least, good design is as little design as possible.
So I started looking for products around me — in home and nearby — that I think could
comply with the ten principles.
But what I really, really wanted to know was that are there any Indian products that Dieter
Rams would appreciate — that would comply with the ten principles — something that
he would be proud of. So here are three things that I think kinda
comply with the ten principles of Dieter Rams. The Tata Nano. Why? Because it truly is as
little design as is required. There's only one windshield wiper instead of the usual
two. There are only three lug nuts on the wheels instead of the usual four. The headrests
are integrated into the driver's seat. The downside is that there are no airbags. This
is not something that I would recommend, or that Dieter Rams would recommend. But this
is how you pull off a 1-lakh rupee car. This watch by HMT. This watch is truly minimalistic
design. It is simple and it has enough information at the same time. It keeps accurate time and
really reliable, and durable as well. This one, I think, is from the 80s. And it's still
working fine. And last but not the least, this pressure
cooker from Hawkins Futura. To begin with, the aesthetic looks like something that Dieter
Rams would design. Very minimal, very futuristic, smooth. Easy to use. Very reliable. And safety
has been utmost concern. This is design that not only looks good but functions just as
well. This is the only pressure cooker in the world to have been displayed at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York. Is that all? Is the list complete? By no means.
So I'll keep looking. And I would love to hear from you as well. If you know of any
products, if you think that any product would fit into his ten principles, something that
he would appreciate, do let me know in the comments below. Thank you, guys!
"I never use this term...'form follows function.'" abhas1