Dieter Rams is one of the most inspiring and influential designers I’ve ever come across.

This is just the beginning of what will become several posts on Dieter Rams, as I feel it’s only right for me to think and discuss how incredible he truly is.

His ten principles for good design can be applied not only to industrial design, but graphic design as well. Which I’ll cover soon when I unveil the poster I’m designing to display them.

The enormous impact he’s had on Apple is rather clear and I’m consistently amazed at his design when I look at what year it was designed. The 606 Shelving System nearly makes me cry it’s so gorgeous and I will not be completely happy unless one day I have a rather large portion of a wall dedicated to it.

This is merely an introduction to the absolute praise I shall be throwing towards this man and also explaining how his design and principles have helped shape my own. His design also continuously makes me think about how I’ve always felt that over extravagant design is simply covering up for a fault in the product or in the idea. So, if an industrial product is far beyond simplistic and uses it’s form and it’s form only to sell itself, then I’m always weary about the actual product, as if they’re hiding something.

With graphic design, it’s the same. Over complicated design, perhaps it’s to cover up the fact that it lacks depth and they went 100% on form and ignored function and the ability for it to hold meaning.

This isn’t always the case, but I think it can be often.

Lastly, here is a quote that made me think of The Sparano System. (if you google ‘the sparano system’ this site comes up before Oxide…crazy)

“Good design is making something intelligible and memorable. Great design is making something memorable and meaningful.”