Less, but better

Design is something I certainly appreciate, though I’m not a student of it. Yes, Tinker Hatfield is a personal hero and I enjoy stories about 13-year olds stuggling with what was once the height of design, but the guys at BBH Labs are serious about this stuff. So serious, that they interview guys like Dieter Rams, one of the really influential industrial designers of the last 50 years.

The interview is terrific; Rams is an uncompromising designer with a strong aesthetic and strong opinions.  I really liked the insights that Ben Malbon gleaned from the interview:

1. Question absolutely everything, especially the ‘most obvious’.

2. Strive to understand people, at every level.

3. Embrace technology, but do so with pragmatism not hype.

These are really terrific observations that are applicable to many industries, not just industrial design. For me, this rings true for marketing and Social Media.

For more on Rams, see this PSFK article from March of this year.