Or a very well known synonym — Mr. Dieter Rams.

Dieter Rams is well…he's an industrial designer by profession.

He's from Wiesbaden, Germany. He completed his studies in architecture and interior decoration

from the Wiesbaden School of Art. He has headed Braun's design for over 40 years.

If Braun seems unfamiliar, or reminds of shavers, know that it is much, much more.

And it does make shavers, very beautiful ones, however.

And it has made a lot of other beautiful things. The genius behind the design of the design

of these beautiful things is none other than Mr. Rams.

And these things, these products, they don't just look good—they function just as well.

And they've left behind such a strong influence — a legacy that you will see in products

today as well — the same design philosophy, that, of "good design."

Dieter Rams listed out his ten principles of good design, which sometimes today are

referred to as the ten commandments of good design.

He mentioned that good is innovative. That good design makes a product useful.

He mentioned that good design is aesthetic. He mentioned that good design makes a product

understandable. That good design is unobtrusive.

Good design is honest. It is long lasting.

And it is thorough, down to the last detail. Good design is environmentally friendly.

And last but not the least, good design is as little design as possible.

So I started looking for products around me — in home and nearby — that I think could

comply with the ten principles.

But what I really, really wanted to know was that are there any Indian products that Dieter

Rams would appreciate — that would comply with the ten principles — something that

he would be proud of. So here are three things that I think kinda

comply with the ten principles of Dieter Rams. The Tata Nano. Why? Because it truly is as

little design as is required. There's only one windshield wiper instead of the usual

two. There are only three lug nuts on the wheels instead of the usual four. The headrests

are integrated into the driver's seat. The downside is that there are no airbags. This

is not something that I would recommend, or that Dieter Rams would recommend. But this

is how you pull off a 1-lakh rupee car. This watch by HMT. This watch is truly minimalistic

design. It is simple and it has enough information at the same time. It keeps accurate time and

really reliable, and durable as well. This one, I think, is from the 80s. And it's still

working fine. And last but not the least, this pressure

cooker from Hawkins Futura. To begin with, the aesthetic looks like something that Dieter

Rams would design. Very minimal, very futuristic, smooth. Easy to use. Very reliable. And safety

has been utmost concern. This is design that not only looks good but functions just as

well. This is the only pressure cooker in the world to have been displayed at the Museum

of Modern Art in New York. Is that all? Is the list complete? By no means.

So I'll keep looking. And I would love to hear from you as well. If you know of any

products, if you think that any product would fit into his ten principles, something that

he would appreciate, do let me know in the comments below. Thank you, guys!

"I never use this term...'form follows function.'" abhas1