A LESSON FROM AN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN LEGEND
I like to collect inspirational pieces of content or links that help me out when I’m stuck with designers block or end up too far down the textures and drop shadows rabbit hole and need a bit of perspective.
Topping the list is this clip of Dieter Rams from the movie Objectified
Dieter Rams rules of design should be written in stone
- Good design should be innovative
- Good design should make a product useful
- Good design is aesthetic design
- Good design will make a product understandable
- Good design is honest
- Good design is unobtrusive
- Good design is long-lived
- Good design is consistent in every detail
- Good design is environmentally friendly
- Good design is as little design as possible
The hardest and most important step of any design, in my opinion is refinement & removal. It’s healthy and productive for designers to put a lot of stuff into their designs on first draft. You end up with complex and interesting work but it’s important to not stop at the first draft but refine and remove and continue to do so until you’ve stripped it down to just the elements that benefit the product, brand and/or communication for which is the designs purpose.
