DIETER RAMS - 'Less and More'

‘Less and More’ captures the impressive legacy and design philosophy of one of the most influential designers of our time – Dieter Rams. Edited by product design experts Klaus Klemp and Keiko Ueki-Polet, the book visualises and describes the timeless quality of Rams’ design ethos on 808 pages. Mainly known for his work at Braun, and true to the principle of ‘less, but better’, Rams defined our fundamental understanding of what design is today. 

This understanding is often summed up in the ten rules of design that he created more than thirty years ago, referred to as ‘the ten commandments’:

// Good design is innovative. 

// Good design makes a product useful. 

// Good design is aesthetic. 

// Good design helps a product to be understood. 

// Good design is unobtrusive. 

// Good design is honest. 

// Good design is durable. 

// Good design is consistent to the last detail. 

// Good design is environmentally friendly. 

// Good design is as little design as possible.

Less and More is the reference book of Rams’ work and features images of hundreds of his products as well as his sketches and models  - from Braun stereo systems and electric shavers to the chairs and shelving systems that he created for Vitsœ. In addition to the rich visual presentation of his designs, the book contains texts by international design experts that explain how the work was created, and what this means in a contemporary context. Published by Gestalten.