Less But Better

The definitive monograph on Dieter Rams, one of the most influential product designers of the twentieth century As head of design at Braun from 1961 to 1995, Dieter Rams created some of the twentieth century's most iconic objects. Rams's life and work are indelibly linked to his thoughts about how people live, and how they can live better. Products he designed in the 1960s are still produced and sold today, and his ideas on good design continue to inspire designers and consumers. Now available again with a stunning new cover, this comprehensive monograph, with a foreword by Jonathan (Jony) Ive, former chief design officer of Apple, explores not only Rams's life and work, but also his design philosophy. The book includes detailed text covering Rams's life, the intellectual context in which he worked, his designs for Braun and Vitsoe, and the ideas and lectures he developed as an advocate for good design. Sketches and photographs of finished products and prototypes provide insight into Rams's design process, diverse archival material gives a complete picture of his life and work, and specially commissioned photographs of Dieter Rams's house and the Braun archive provide an exclusive glimpse of the world's most complete collection of Rams's designs. Known for the hundreds of iconic products he designed for Braun and Vitsoe, this comprehensive and exhaustive monograph also features Rams's only architectural work and the ideas about living sustainably embodied in his 'ten commandments'.