Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design and How to Apply Them in Graphic Design

9/5/12 11:48 PMDieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design and How to Apply Them in Graphic Design - You The Designer | You The Designer

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Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design and How to ApplyThem in Graphic Design

After discussing the Vignelli Canon, we’re going to delve more into design principles appliedin the different fields of design today. One designer that I’ve always admired is the industrialdesigner, Dieter Rams. His works within different industries have become classic standardsof simple, elegant, and lasting design. Yet though his principles of design have spreadthroughout the world, there are still far more thoughtlessly-designed products out in themarket.

Industrial Design for Graphic Design

Industrial design is the process of creating a product that combines the best of aesthetics, er-gonomics, and usability. These three can be compared to typographic design’s form, legibili-ty, and readability. Design in general can be treated as a form of communication; it informsand allows people to easily identify a product or concept based on its associated color andform.

http://www.youthedesigner.com/2012/03/28/helvetica-and-the-vignelli-canon-how-typefaces-ought-to-be-in-graphic-design/

http://www.vitsoe.com/en/us/about/dieterrams/who-is-dieter-rams



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As Vignelli would say, design is a language. Designers may have different specializations,but all of them use design as a form of communication. Almost every principle made for aspecific design discipline can be used in another, and vice versa. Or we can just say, all theseprinciples are taken from one root – human experience and its improvement. Combining all the design principles we have today is an impossible task, but what we can dois apply these principles into our chosen field of design. A great example of a set of design

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principles that can be easily transferred and used in various fields of design is Dieter Rams’Ten Principles of Good Design.

The Ten Principles of Good Design

Dieter Ram’s principles can be compared to Massimo Vignelli’s canon. The only differencebetween them is that the latter’s principles were made particularly for typography. On theother hand, Dieter Rams’ ten principles are about creating good product design, but can beapplied to any design field. Now, if we were to skilfully apply Dieter Ram’s principles to graphic design (and maybeeven infuse it with the spirit of Vignelli’s canon), we would have an ideal design that notonly caters to the human need, but also helps improve human life along the way. Below I’ve condensed Dieter Rams’ ten principles to eight. I’ve decided to combine someprinciples that I think either need to work with one another (i.e., honest design, product un-derstandability, and usefulness) or will be understood better when paired together (i.e., un-obtrusive and thorough design). Here’s how I think you can apply these principles in graphicdesign:

Graphic Design…

Is Innovative

As Austin Kleon would put it, steal like an artist. How do we innovate in graphic design? Westeal or borrow ideas, improve on it AND make it our own. Many, if not most, artists are in-spired by other artists. If people from the 14th to the 17th century didn’t think of a Renais-sance, we’d never see the world as we see it today.

http://www.vitsoe.com/en/us/about/dieterrams/gooddesign

http://www.austinkleon.com/

http://www.austinkleon.com/steal/



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Is Aesthetic

Graphic design is more than a visualized idea. It must tap into the senses of the people andact as catalyst for further interaction. Much like in advertising, it must tap into a customer’sexperience and emulate it, then provoke a longing for that experience. The smart execution ofdesign based on aesthetics can also be seen in classic magazine covers like Esquire, NationalLampoon, etc., as they portray a culture’s current affairs and invite people to take part in itby at least being updated and informed.

http://www.austinkleon.com/2011/03/30/how-to-steal-like-an-artist-and-9-other-things-nobody-told-me/



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http://www.coverjunkie.com/blog/the-passion-of-ali/7/917



Is Unobtrusive and Thoroughly-Designed

A graphic design’s function is to disseminate information or an idea. It must not, by anymeans, annoy or be visual pollution. The design must be well-thought of and appropriate. El-ements and details of the design must also be considered; these may become restraining andobtrusive if overused or left unconsidered.





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Is Honest

As a form of communication, graphic design must be presented directly – no flash, no tricks,no obstructions. It must be highlighted or be given emphasis for the audience. This is espe-cially important in advertising; honesty and the capability to deliver is what drives an activeand loyal market.

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/brochures/unigrid/index.htm



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Is long-lasting

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Graphic design as a form of visual communication must be able to create a lasting messagethat is either relevant or needed during his time. It is also upon the designer to be consciousof his surroundings and ask we questions such as “Do we need this?”, “Is this relevanttoday?”, or “Will this change someone’s life?”



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Is as Little Design as Possible As an element in advertising, graphic design must be straightforward and concise. It must fo-cus on information that is relevant to the market or audience. Graphic design streamlines in-formation and makes it easier for people to understand, and it must do it in a functional yetaesthetic method.

http://wartimeposters.co.uk/keepcalm



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Good design is not a mere standard in creating a product or an advertisement. It’s a way oflife, a belief that better things can be provided to the public. It’s one way of saying that designhas a lot to do with life and they way we live it. Each designer has his own standard and principle when working on projects. As mentionedearlier, people have different mileages regarding a lot of things. I cooked this up for begin-

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ners and experienced designers who wish to find inspiration from other professionals. Please let me know your thoughts about Dieter Rams’ principles of good design and my pre-sentation of them in this post, as well as how you think these can be applied to graphic de-sign or to any discipline! If you aren’t yet, please follow us on Twitter and/or subscribe to our RSS feed. If you havesuggestions for material for my other posts, I’d love to hear them!

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Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design and How to Apply Them in Graphic Design