Dieter Rams 10 Principles of Good Design 2
Dieter Rams 10 Principles of Good Design 2
DAVID RHYNE
Senior UX Designer
[email protected]
http://dazid.net
@dazidrhyne
why do design principles matter?
power & specificity
user
testing
user user
testing research
technology
1 Good design is innovative
good design
technology
1 Good design is innovative
good design
technology innovation
2
Good design makes a
product useful
A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy
certain criteria, not only functional, but also
psychological and aesthetic. Good design emphasizes
the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding
anything that could possibly detract from it.
2
Good design makes a
product useful
2 Good design makes a product useful
Level
2 Good design makes a product useful
Level
Emphasizes the usefulness of a product
2 Good design makes a product useful
Level
Emphasizes the usefulness of a product
Disregards anything that could possibly
detract from it
3
Good design is aesthetic
The iPhone
4 Good design makes a product understandable
The iPhone
Clarifies its own structure
4 Good design makes a product understandable
The iPhone
Clarifies its own structure
Is self-explanatory
5
Good design is unobtrusive
Pinterest
5 Good design is unobtrusive
Pinterest
Is neutral and restrained
5 Good design is unobtrusive
Pinterest
Is neutral and restrained
Leaves room for the user’s
self-expression
6
Good design is honest
Windows Phone
6 Good design is honest
Windows Phone
“Authentically digital”
6 Good design is honest
Windows Phone
“Authentically digital”
Does not attempt to manipulate the
consumer with promises that cannot
be kept.
7
Good design is long-lasting
Horizontal navigation
7 Good design is long-lasting
Horizontal navigation
Avoids being fashionable
7 Good design is long-lasting
Horizontal navigation
Avoids being fashionable
Doesn’t appear antiquated
8
Good design is thorough
down to the last detail
Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care
and accuracy in the design process show respect
towards the user.
8
Good design is thorough
down to the last detail
8
Good design is thorough
down to the last detail
8
Good design is thorough
down to the last detail
8 Good design is thorough down to the last detail
Tumblr
Allows username modification
Suggests an autogenerated name to get
you started quickly
8 Good design is thorough down to the last detail
Slack
Shows appropriately-colored boxes next
to hex codes
8 Good design is thorough down to the last detail
InVision
Detects high-resolution files
Works with @2x convention to
automatically scale high-DPI images
9
Good design is
environmentally-friendly
Design makes an important contribution to the
preservation of the environment. It conserves
resources and minimizes physical and visual
pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product.
9
Good design is
environmentally-friendly
9 Good design is environmentally-friendly
Cargo Collective
9 Good design is environmentally-friendly
Cargo Collective
Is sensitive to its environment
9 Good design is environmentally-friendly
Cargo Collective
Is sensitive to its environment
Minimizes visual polution
10
Good design is as little
design as possible
Less, but better – because it concentrates on
the essential aspects, and the products are not
burdened with non-essentials.
10
Good design is as little design as possible
Amazon Echo
10
Good design is as little design as possible
Amazon Echo
Presents clear navigation and
pertinent, high level details
10
Good design is as little design as possible
Amazon Echo
Presents clear navigation and
pertinent, high level details
Provides a call to action
10
Good design is as little design as possible
Amazon Echo
Presents clear navigation and
pertinent, high level details
Provides a call to action
Is as little design as possible
what have we learned?
Be helpful.
Be helpful.
good design is useful, innovative, honest, long-lasting,
and conscious of its environment
Be thoughtful.
Be thoughtful.
good design is aesthetic, understandable, unobtrusive,
thorough, and as little design as possible
Stop thinking of yourself as
a UX designer.
Stop thinking of yourself as
a visual designer.
Stop thinking of yourself as
a web designer.
Think of yourself as someone
who is helpful and thoughtful.
Think of yourself as a designer.
“Back to purity, back to simplicity.”
dieter rams
Thank you.
DAVID RHYNE
Senior UX Designer
[email protected]
http://dazid.net
@dazidrhyne