Following the November post on the idea of subtracting¹, I try to dig more about Dieter Rams. A name that I often heard but haven’t learn deeper. I try to get the documentary about him titled Rams. The portrait documentary is produced and directed by Gary Hustwit².
I am glad that I can start the year with this documentary. I felt that 2020 and 2021 tried to teach me that I have enough. “Less, but better” is truly a great mantra to live by. Let’s dig a little bit more about the documentary.
Early Years
In the documentary, Rams talked a little bit about his childhood. How the life of war in Germany affecting him. He entered technical arts college at the edge of 17. He was passionate to work in architecture. After graduation he managed to get himself to work at ABB Architects, one of the biggest architecture firm in Frankfurt. He chose that company primarily because the head architects who were there, especially Otto Apel. Otto Apel is one of the most influential architect during transition period from Nazi-era architecture to a modernist 1950s era. Rams was involved on the design of USA consulate building in Frankfurt which the building still stands until today.
Braun
Braun was not well-known in the 1950s. However, in 1955 Braun advertise the job vacancy looking for an architect. The Braun Brothers, Arthur and Erwin, are the brothers leading the transformation of Braun following the death of their father. Rams tried to apply to Braun for reconstruction projects but then got hooked when asked to be involved more on product design. The country was on the verge of rebuilding after the war. Braun brothers believed that products people have at their homes should be made better in that era of rebuilding life. They had a good relationship with people at Ulm School of Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung, HfG), which then became their influential partner.
Rams worked closely with Hans Gugelot to work on the new radio for Braun as the flagship product. Radio was kind of an important furniture at people’s home at that time.
Their collaboration turned out to also be the turning point for Braun.
SK-4 was then getting more popular and got the nickname “Snow White’s Coffin”. Braun then produced more household products, such as kitchenware, razor, calculator, clock, and musical products.
The 10 Principles
Everything interacts and is dependent on other things. We must think more thoroughly about what we are doing, how we are doing it, and why we are doing it.
Rams said that in the movie prior to talk more about his formulated 10 Principles.
- 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. Back to simplicity. Back to purity.
Less, but better.
Unfortunately, Rams relationship with Braun company was not going well after the acquisition by Gillette. The organization started to change and in 1995 he left the design department and left the company in 1997. After that, he became closer with Vitsoe. Since, 1960s Rams actually already involved with Vitsoe in designing various furniture. At that time, Braun brothers believed it will also help Braun in selling housewares.
He is still involved until today for consulting Vitsoe’s products.
Rams also have a strong opinion in today’s era of upgrade. Upgrade with new things every year. He is questioning why technology today not helping us but asking us to change with new one more often.
I find it better to improve things than to be constantly forced to come up with something new, which is often not new but is formalistically superimposed. If I start with the outside, then it will always be formalistic.
And that’s why I prefer the term re-engineering.
I want to start with the inside. Always from inside to outside.
He emphasizes that “Less, but better” is not just a design concept, it’s also about our behaviour.
He seems also to be a straightforward person. He mentioned that some designs lead to misunderstandings. In which the media perpetuate and suddenly we often hear “design just means expensive.”
However, he is still humble to understand that every design tries to tell a story.
He is more and more often talk about how he would prefer learn about landscape architecture. He believed it is more important and influential to shape people’s lives. According to Hustwit, Rams feels responsible for the fact that mass production of products is one of the biggest causes of climate change³.
At a 2016 talk in Munich, shown at the start of the film, the designer Fritz Frenkler asked Rams what path he would choose if he were starting his career today, and Rams points to landscape architecture, because
“shaping our environment is the most important thing . . . This starts with the landscape, not with the design of a machine.”
When an audience member at the panel asked him about Tesla, he said,“We don’t need anything faster. We need to rethink the entire transportation system.” Not cars, but traffic. In the documentary, it is shown that Rams has a Porsche.
His Principles Today
Near the end of the documentary, we take a closer look on Rams in his house. His garden is inspired by Japanese culture as he admired the simplicity he observed whenever he visited Japan.
Quoting Alexandra Lange, Rams is still living with products that he designed or purchased in the nineteen-sixties, whereas we are forced to upgrade our buttonless rectangles every few years⁴.
And another reminder on how technology affects our life today.
I think that all this digitization is becoming more and more a part of our life. I think it diminishes our ability to experience things. There are pictures that disappear, one after the other, without leaving traces up here (pointing to his head).
This goes insanely fast.
And maybe that’s why we can, or we want to, consume so much.
The world that can be perceived through the senses exudes an aura that I believe cannot be digitized.We have to be careful now, that we rule over the digital world,
and are not ruled by it.
Dieter Rams is now 89 years old by the time I write this. He lives with his partner since Braun early years, Ingeborg Kracht-Rams.
Thank you Dieter Rams for your legacy on the philosophy of life.
This new year might be less than the previous ones for me, but I want this to be better.
Weniger, aber besser.
Footnotes:
- Personal notes on subtract. https://medium.com/side-a/subtract-ccc38463fbc1
- Rams. https://www.hustwit.com/rams
- Dieter Rams documentary Gary Hustwit interview article at dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2019/03/05/dieter-rams-documentary-gary-hustwit-interview/
- https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-weve-learned-from-dieter-rams-and-what-weve-ignored
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