15 Things You Didn't Know About Dieter Rams

Get to know one of the world's greatest industrial designers, on the occasion of his 82nd birthday.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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82 years ago today, the future of product design changed forever when Dieter Rams came bouncing into this world in Wiesbaden, Hessen Germany. Though it would take another 15 years before his design studies would begin in earnest, when he enrolled in the Wiesbaden School of Art to study architecture and interior design, the seeds of creativity had already been planted.

Shortly after graduating (with honors) in 1953, Rams took a position with a Frankfurt-based architect. Two years later, he moved on to worldwide consumer products company Braun as an architect and designer, where Rams took an artistic approach to product design, creating items that were forward-thinking in both their functionality and technology. By 1961, he was Braun’s Chief Design Officer, a position he held until 1995.

In honor of Rams’ 82nd birthday, Gestalten is re-releasing Less But BetterRams’ groundbreaking (and long out of print) work on the basics of good design. Here are 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Dieter Rams.

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Rams' design philosophy can be summed up with 10 basic principles.

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Rams was eco-friendly before eco-friendly was a popular concept.

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Rams landed at Braun as part of a bet.

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Braun influenced Rams as much as Rams influenced Braun.

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But Braun design was a team effort.

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The SK4 was his first major product for Braun.

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1958 was a very good year for Rams.

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Rams also dabbled in furniture design.

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The Audio 1 radio was designed to sit atop the 606 Universal Shelving System.

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Museums around the world have paid tribute to Rams' work.

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Artist Richard Hamilton was greatly influenced by Rams' designs.

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Apple digs his stuff.

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Rams believes that imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery.

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Rams considers himself an architect, not a designer.

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The T2 Cylinder cigarette lighter is one of Rams' favorite products.

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