Less but Better

Less but Better, published by Gestalten, introduces readers to the life and career of the legendary German designer Dieter Rams (b. 1932). The updated edition of the book delves into Rams' functional design philosophy and its influence on the world of industrial design. Written in English and German, the book is authored by Dieter Rams and edited by Jo Klatt, a design expert and Braun collector, together with Dieter and Ingeborg Rams Foundation.

Few product designs have the staying power of creations by Dieter Rams. Almost everything produced by the most influential designer of the twentieth century is today considered a classic. This new and revised edition of Less but Better shows once again why Dieter Rams’s approach to design will be relevant for the foreseeable future.  

Ideas of what can and must be achieved by good design are in a constant state of flux as a result of cultural and technological developments. Dieter Rams, however, came up with ten principles that advocate for a purist, almost imperceptible design. These principles are still considered timeless fundaments of design theory and practice today.  

Less but Better does not set out to be a complete documentation of Dieter Rams’s body of work, nor does it claim to tell the full story of the company Braun. Rather the book explores the ideas, criteria, and methods behind Rams’s creations and reveals how a shifting culture of product manufacturing gave rise to universal design benchmarks. From his reflections on design ethics and values we can distill a clear paradigm for future design—because one principle has remained firm over the years: less is simply better.