Good design is thorough down to the last detail - Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer.
Dieter RamsRead
Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Good design focuses on functionality and minimizes distractions.
Dieter Rams emphasizes that effective design should prioritize the practical use of a product, stripping away any unnecessary elements that may hinder its functionality. This principle advocates for simplicity and utility, suggesting that the best designs enhance the user experience without superfluous embellishments.
Themes
DesignFunctionalitySimplicityUsefulnessUser Experience
In practice
Example use cases
In a design conference, this quote can be used to illustrate the importance of usability in product design.
More from Dieter Rams
All quotes βMy goal is to omit everything superfluous so that the essential is shown to best possible advantage.
Dieter RamsRead
You cannot understand good design if you do not understand people; design is made for people.
Dieter RamsRead
Design should not dominate things, should not dominate people. It should help people. That's its role.
Dieter RamsRead
My heart belongs to the details. I actually always found them to be more important than the big picture. Nothing works without details. They are everything, the baseline of quality.
Dieter RamsRead
Things which are different in order simply to be different are seldom better, but that which is made to be better is almost always different.
Dieter RamsRead
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Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content is not design, it's decoration.
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Design needs to be plugged into human behavior. Design dissolves in behavior.
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We won't do something different for different's sake. Designers cave in to marketing, to the corporate agenda, which is sort of, 'Oh, it looks like the last one; can't we make it look different?' Well no, there's no reason to.
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The role of designers and product makers is to really become much better editors. What kind of functionality is actually needed - and truly delightful - to consumers? Remove all the extraneous stuff.
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