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Dieter Rams's mental models

5 claims Dieter Rams made fit 4 mental models. Most often: Design is how it works, Conservation of complexity, Craft in the details. Everything they said here.

Models they name

Their own words name the idea.

Less, but better

Find the essence and cut the rest; simplicity is hard work, not the absence of effort.

Others who think with this model

Edsger W. DijkstraJason YuanJohn MaedaPaul GrahamRich HickeySteve Jobsand 1 more

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Good design is as little design as possible: less, but better, because it concentrates on the essentials.

  1. Dieter Rams by Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961… Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com · by 3 Aug 2012
    Their wordsLess, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

    ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

    by 3 Aug 2012

Models we see in what they say

Our reading: their claim applies the idea without naming it. The claim is theirs; filing it here is ours.

Design is how it works

Judge a design by what it does for the person using it, not only by how it looks.

Others who think with this model

Andy MadrickEdward TufteJason FriedJulie ZhuoRyan SingerSusan Kare

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The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness, but only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

  1. Dieter Rams by Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961… 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. Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com · by 3 Aug 2012
    Their wordsThe 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.

    ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

    by 3 Aug 2012

Good design is unobtrusive: products that fulfil a purpose are tools, neither decorative objects nor works of art, and should leave room for the user's self-expression.

  1. Dieter Rams by Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961… 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. Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com · by 3 Aug 2012
    Their wordsProducts 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.

    ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

    by 3 Aug 2012

Conservation of complexity

Some complexity cannot be removed, only moved; the question is who carries it, the user or the maker.

Others who think with this model

Frank ChimeroLarry TeslerRaph KosterRich HickeyRyan Singer

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Good design makes a product understandable: at best it is self-explanatory.

  1. Dieter Rams by Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961… It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory. Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com · by 3 Aug 2012
    Their wordsIt clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.

    ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

    by 3 Aug 2012

Craft in the details

Care about the parts nobody sees; quality shows in the details.

Others who think with this model

Adam WigginsAndy MadrickDylan FieldElizabeth StoneEmil KowalskiThePrimeagenand 2 more

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Good design is thorough down to the last detail: nothing must be arbitrary, and care in the design process shows respect towards the user.

  1. Dieter Rams by Industrial designer; head of design at Braun from 1961… Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the user. Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com · by 3 Aug 2012
    Their wordsNothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the user.

    ↗Dieter Rams: ten principles for good designvitsoe.com

    by 3 Aug 2012