Born on may 20th, 1932 in Wiesbaden, Dieter Rams is a German industrial designer considered as one of the founders of the functionalist school of industrial design. His work is closely linked to the Braun company, for which he designed radios, record players, scales and calculators from 1955 to 1995

A synthesis between Ivy League style and architectural Modernism

Rams’ fascination with design, American modernism and architecture is reflected in his early dressing style. Rams’ wardrobe was largely inspired by the Ivy League style: a corduroy or tweed jacket, a silk knit tie, and a button-down oxford shirt. However, the designer quickly broke away from this and abandoned superfluous details in favour of a minimalist approach. Rams dresses in grey or taupe tones, his shirts are plain or with fine stripes. He is fond of tweed jackets, whose herringbone patterns are reminiscent of modernist architecture. His style, halfway between engineer and artist, is designed to be as comfortable as possible for drawing on his large architectural table. In doing so, he invented a precise silhouette, without ostentation but terribly personal and modern, made of structural shoulders that is representative of the times and of more traditional noble materials.

In reaction to the colourful and extravagant dissonance of the 1970s, Dieter Rams developed the 10 principles of good design:

The 10 principles of a good design:

_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 is thorough down to the last detail

_good design is environmentally-friendly

_good design is as little design as possible