Dieter Rams is one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century. Born in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1932, he studied architecture and interior decoration at the Wiesbaden School of Art before joining the German consumer products company Braun in 1955. Over the following decades, Rams shaped the design philosophy of Braun and the furniture company Vitsoe with a distinctively restrained and functional aesthetic. His work is marked by clarity, minimalism, and a deep commitment to user needs. Rams saw design not only as a matter of form and function, but as an ethical responsibility to improve everyday life through clarity, durability, and simplicity.

Frustrated by what he perceived as a culture of superficiality and obsolescence in contemporary product design, Rams posed a provocative question: “Is my design good design?” His answer took the form of a manifesto: the “Ten Principles for Good Design,” developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These principles were intended not as rigid rules but as a framework for responsible, human-centered design in the age of mass production. Drawing inspiration from the Vitruvian triad of Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas, Rams updated the criteria for quality to fit the demands of modern industry, consumer culture, and environmental awareness.

His ten principles are as follows:

1. Good design is innovative – It advances technology and opens up new possibilities while remaining anchored in human needs.
2. Good design makes a product useful – Functionality is fundamental; design should emphasize utility over decoration.
3. Good design is aesthetic – Beauty enhances user satisfaction and gives dignity to the object and its use.
4. Good design makes a product understandable – Form reflects function; a well-designed object explains itself through its appearance.
5. Good design is unobtrusive – It avoids fashion and trends, allowing users to interpret and personalize their interaction with the object.
6. Good design is honest – It does not make a product appear more innovative, powerful, or valuable than it truly is.
7. Good design is long-lasting – It avoids being trendy, thus remaining relevant and functional for years or decades.
8. Good design is thorough down to the last detail – Precision and care are visible even in the smallest design decisions.
9. Good design is environmentally friendly – It minimizes resource consumption and waste throughout the product’s lifecycle.
10. Good design is as little design as possible – Simplicity, clarity, and reduction to the essential are the hallmarks of excellence.

These ten principles form a contemporary ethical and aesthetic system for industrial design. Like Vitruvius, more or less two thousand years before him, Rams offers a triadic structure – but one that responds to new materials, production processes, and consumer behavior. Where Vitruvius sought harmony between structure, function, and beauty in architecture, Rams applies a similar balance to the world of everyday objects. His approach influenced not only generations of designers in Europe but also global figures such as Jonathan Ive at Apple, whose product design philosophy clearly echoes Rams’ principles.

In an age increasingly concerned with sustainability, longevity, and meaningful interaction, Rams’ principles are more relevant than ever. They challenge designers to consider not only how things look and work, but what role they play in society and how they affect the world in the long term. His legacy is not just a set of iconic objects, but a coherent and enduring philosophy of design responsibility.