'less and more' illustrates the functional design of dieter rams

‘less and more’ textually and illustratively describes the work of german designer dieter rams – the man who defined functional design. the book provides a history behind the braun company, where rams lead the design team for more than four decades. documenting his professional life and design approach, ‘less and more’ is a definitive compilation of images, sketches and models of his products. in the more than 40 years that he spent working at braun, dieter rams established himself as one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century. his elegantly clear visual language not only defined product design for decades, but also our fundamental understanding of what design is and what it can and should do.

images © gestalten

ranging from the small kitchen appliances, electric shavers and electronics he developed during his extensive career at braun, to the furniture systems he designed for vitsœ and sdr+, the illustrated projects exhibit rams’ ability to always seek the ultimate unification – pursuing an ideal relationship between the internal and external. included are product time lines for the companies he worked for, presenting his pieces in reference to the projects of the designers whom he worked alongside. the book includes categorized time lines of braun products pictured: radios and record players designed by dieter rams, hans guglot, helmut müller-kühn, wilhelm wagenfeld, herbert lindinger and gerd alfred müller

full-color photographs, accompanied by explanatory text give relevance to the designs at the time in which they were made, demonstrating rams’ sensibility and understanding of aesthetics and functionality, and his consideration of the end user. discussions by members of the industry provide insight on the timelessness of his work, putting it into the contemporary context, allowing us to compare, re-evaluate and rediscover the rationalism of his design in today’s world.

and of course, any publication on dieter rams would not be complete without his ‘ten principles of good design’ that he created 20 years ago and which are still just as applicable today. good design is innovative. good design makes a product useful. good design is aesthetic. good design helps to understand a product. good design is unobtrusive. good design is honest. good design is durable. good design is consequent to the last detail. good design is concerned with environment. good design is as little design as possible.

after it’s initial release in 2010, this bilingual edition has been reprinted in july 2015. the complete text is provided in both english and german, displayed side by side. like the original, the 2015 edition is printed in PVC softcover with hard slipcase. whether or not you are an avid designer, this book will give you a new appreciation for design and the work of dieter rams. it is a great resource on the contribution he has made to the design industry.

less and more: the design ethos of dieter rams / PVC softcover and slipcase / 19 x 23 cm / 808 pages / €69.90 euro / gestalten: bilingual edition / klaus klemp and keiko ueki-polet