August 21, 2011
According to Dieter Rams, good design should be disciplined by 10 specific qualities, Rams deems these the Ten Commandments:
1. Innovation
2. Useful
3. Aesthetic, well-executed
4. Understandable
5. Unobtrusive, neutral/restrained
6. Honest
7. Long-lasting in today's "throw-away" society
8. Thorough
9. Environment conscious
10. Simple
I've always compared designers to tight rope walkers. Day in and day out, you stand on that slim rope, clenching your balancing pole, standing stories above your crowd who are all anticipating your next move. That rope that's swaying back in forth is the line that designers are constantly teetering on, the line between boring and tacky. You want to put on a show for your audience but you don't want to lose your balance and fall. (Designers might be able to design a good band aid, but that doesn't mean they know how to fix a broken arm)
We live in a world that strives for perfection. As a designer, it is our duty to create products that will thrive in this environment. In order to succeed, in order to successfully cross that tight rope, a designer must create a balance for their product, a sort of stability that will get them through to the other side.
As a future designer, I know I will be constantly teetering on that rope. As a freshmen, I want to show the world everything I've got. But how do I do that while still listening to Mr. Rams and his Ten Commandments? Well I guess I'll just have to stay under the big top and find out.
