Less But Better

Whether we realise it or not, we have all been touched by the work of Industrial design pioneer, Dieter Rams and his design ethos… Less But Better. And whether we realise it or not, and my bet is that we realise it a lot more than what we would like to admit, we have also been touched by the pervasive consumeristic attitude of more but cheap.

It was a chilly July morning. As for most people around the world, the mornings from the bed to the office has been an altogether very different experience. Instead of the frantic rush to brush my teeth, scoff down some brekky and begin embarking on the adrenaline rushing dart from the door step to the menacing sounds of doot doot doot and the crunch of metal train doors crashing in; has been replaced with a gentle tap of the alarm and the assurance I often tell myself most mornings of that, “I can afford to get another 5 minutes in.” Breakfasts’ seem more enjoyable and I am not being met with the high cortisol levels that are often accompanied on those sprints in trying to catch that metal beast. And whilst all this has been great, it is the morning runs and walks I actually miss the most.

So, on this particular cold, July winter morning, I decided that instead of running errands online, which is what I typically would do, I thought it might be a good idea to physically walk to the post office and get a waft of that dawn crisp fresh air and reacquaint myself on the path that I had once embarked on. Only moments into the short, relaxing expedition, believing the walk would be somewhat pleasant, I felt myself abruptly struck with an overwhelming sense of dread. It was as though the weight of gravity had held me down and I felt my feet firmly planted on the path and my body was motionless. Both wonder and awe are the only ways in which I can describe what I was confronted with. Many might express that I am overly embellishing the reaction that took place on that icy wintry morning. But the reason I believe many would make such a claim is because I suppose we have become somewhat desensitized to what I am about to disclose.

What I had encountered was a series of modest size rubbish mounds, littering the front lawns of the houses and units of the streets of suburbia. It was that time of the year, where council informs its good and responsible citizens that if they have any big ticket household items that they would like disposing of, then they can leave them at the front of their houses to be removed… out of sight and out of mind. Many may be questioning… but that is something normal, no? Our houses are filled with so much stuff, we need to do an ongoing cleanse to remove the junk from our lives. Right? And yet, in my view, that is precisely the problem. That we would view such items, that should arguably be, things that should last a long time, or even dare I say, a lifetime. A chair here, a broken sofa there, a dining table and tv unit. A 24inch tv and a bed. Kitchen appliances and broken shards of glass. Furniture after appliance after furniture, were all left on the front of people’s lawns to be taken away, out of sight and out of mind to make room for the next disposable item.

Are you suggesting that people should just hoard their things and not remove and replace anything from their lives?

Of course, I am not suggesting that. But what I had observed was something more onerous than just a heap of old household items being mindlessly disposed of. What I had observed, more appropriately was an attitude proliferating our culture; a culture that creates things for the purpose of it being thrown away. What I realised is that we do not bring things into our lives to be used; we bring things into our lives with the mentality that it will just go to the dump. Many a time I have recalled the rhetoric from many a people that I know who just say, “Oh, it only cost x amount, we’ll just quickly use it and then it can be thrown away.”

What is at the heart of this throw away mentality?

I believe it has something to do with a culture that prizes fads and fashions over quality. We buy into this notion that we have an endless amount of natural resources, that rubbish magically disappears and that if something costs $5.00, then it must be a bargain, even though we find ourselves paying for it with our time and money in the long run, having to constantly replace our “bargain” items. But of what of the cost to those that manufacture and create these cheap items. How much was that person paid to make our bargain item, what conditions were they subjected to in order to create these bargain items and of what destruction is being caused on the natural environment, both on the planet and our health in order to produce and dispose of these “bargain” items. Something is certainly off and perhaps it is time that we ask ourselves the questions of what the true cost truly is.

During the early 1970’s, Rams came to this realisation that something was wrong. He realised the damage, through our consumerism, that we were propagating on our environment. He questioned himself and the role in which he too was perpetuating in this detrimental behaviour. He was of course, a designer, starting off as an architect and then moving on to industrial design; to then pioneer the design world at large. He began asking questions. One of them being about whether producing something was adding value to the planet; that it was not just depleting the earth’s resources. He knew he needed to question the norms and so, he went on to produce what would be famously known as the 10 principles for good design; a guide or a checklist if you will, for how we should approach the design and manufacture of anything; whether it be a building, to a simple t-shirt, to an electronic device; to the humble spoon.

These are Dieter Rams 10 principles for good design:

Good design is innovative

The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.

Good design makes a product useful

A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy certain criteria, not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasises the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could possibly detract from it.

Good design is aesthetic

The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products we use every day affect our person and our well-being. But only well-executed objects can be beautiful.

Good design makes a product understandable

It clarifies the product’s structure. Better still, it can make the product talk. At best, it is self-explanatory.

Good design is unobtrusive

Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user’s self-expression.

Good design is honest

It does not make a product more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.

Good design is long-lasting

It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years – even in today’s throwaway society.

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 user.

Good design is environmentally-friendly

Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimises physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.

Good design is as little design as possible

Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.

Back to purity, back to simplicity.

Whilst I believe since the 1970’s things have gotten a lot worse, I think it is ever more imperative that designers apply these principles to their work; whether it be an architect, a fashion designer, an industrial designer… whatever discipline we find ourselves, I believe we can all apply what I believe should be the guiding principles of design.

Dieter Rams is a legend in his own right for a reason. He forged the path for what it means to be an objectively good designer. These principles should be a constant referencing point for us as designers and a benchmark for consumers when engaging a designer directly or through their products. We need to do away with the idea that more is better; but rather, get back to the notion of prizing less but better quality. We need to integrate this philosophy back into our culture of; Less But Better.

Check out some of Dieter Rams designs, you might recognise his influence on some of todays leading designs.

Product designs by Dieter Rams

Photograph by Abisag Tüllmann