Rams and Jony Ive — Apple's Acknowledged German Heritage

It's an oft-repeated anecdote that Jony Ive was deeply impressed when he first saw products designed by Dieter Rams. This is said to have happened around 1989-1992, during his time at the design studio Tangerine in London.
Leaving aside the debate of "copy or influence," the relationship between Rams and Ive is a clear example of late 20th-century German industrial design being carried over into 21st-century Silicon Valley.

Two Products: T3 and iPod, ET66 and the Calculator App

The comparison becomes clear when placed side-by-side: the 1958 Braun T3 pocket radio and the 2001 first-generation iPod. The tall white body, rounded corners, and circular control placed centrally on the front—the grammatical rules of their forms align. Similarities are often pointed out between the T3's circular dial and the iPod's click wheel, and the ratio of the white body and rounded rectangle.
The same goes for the 1987 Braun ET66 calculator and the iOS calculator app. The button color scheme is unified in achromatic black and gray, the color rule highlights only the "=" in yellow, and the physical arrangement of the keys—the iOS calculator app referred to the ET66's color system almost directly for many years. Ive himself stated at the 2011 Rams Foundation awards ceremony, "I feel particularly affectionate about the calculator app."

Ive's Letter: Respect for Rams

It is said that Ive sent a personal letter to Rams, frankly expressing his deep respect for Rams's work and how Apple's design philosophy had learned much from Rams's principles.
Ive has since repeatedly expressed his respect for Rams publicly, stating at the 2011 Rams Foundation awards ceremony, "Dieter Rams' work has continued to shape my understanding of so much of what I consider to be important design as I've grown." This has been repeatedly cited as a rare case in the design industry where the influential relationship, almost like a master and apprentice, between two designers has been publicly acknowledged.

Rams's Assessment: "What I didn't achieve, Apple achieved"

In a 2011 Dezeen magazine interview, Rams stated, "Apple has achieved what I did not achieve." This reflects his recognition that Apple achieved the widespread popularity—simple and honest design reaching hundreds of millions of users—that Rams aimed for but could not realize at Braun.
In the 2009 documentary "Objectified" (directed by Gary Hustwit), Rams also clearly stated, "Apple is one of the few companies that designs according to my principles." This was not a criticism, but a word of approval from someone facing the same direction.

The "Copy or Influence" Debate and its Context

In 2012, during the Apple v. Samsung patent lawsuit, the similarities between Braun products and the iPhone were brought up as grounds for Samsung's claim that "Apple's design is not original." Ironically, the principles Rams established as ethical standards for industrial design were used as a weapon in a patent courtroom.
In the lawsuit, Apple acknowledged the influence of Rams's design but argued that it was not plagiarism but "influenced creation." The very fact that Rams's design legacy was used as a legal argument demonstrates the extent of its influence. Rams himself did not say much about this debate. It is reported that his stance was close to "It is important that my principles are being practiced, and who borrowed what to what extent is not the essential question."

The Meaning of German Design Heritage

The relationship between Rams and Ive symbolizes the influence of 20th-century German industrial design. Just as the Bauhaus (1919-1933) went into exile in America and spread modernism worldwide, Rams's design philosophy from his Braun era was passed on to 21st-century digital products via Apple.
The difference, however, is that the Bauhaus's exile was a forced dispersal, while the inheritance from Rams to Ive was a selective learning process. Ive actively sought out Rams, learned from him, and expressed respect. This is also a testament to the "universality of design principles"—the ten principles born in post-war German industrial society functioned across time and culture to be implemented in a different form in Silicon Valley half a century later.

What Rams Left Behind

Ive's words at the 2011 Rams Foundation awards ceremony best encapsulate their relationship: "Dieter Rams' work has continued to shape my understanding of so much of what I consider to be important design as I've grown."
Born in 1932, Rams is still alive as of 2026 when this article is being written (at 93 years old). Many of the products he designed for Braun over half a century ago are still permanently housed in museums such as MoMA, the V&A, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Vitsœ 606 shelving system designed in 1960 is still sold new today.
"Good design is as little design as possible"—the last words of his ten principles also reflect Rams's own way of being. He minimized his own presence in the act of design as much as possible, prioritizing the product's service to the user. This "disappearance" ultimately became the greatest legacy of German design.
This concludes the 12-part "Lineage of German Design: Dieter Rams" series. The next series will be "German Manufacturing Philosophy," continuing with DIN standards, the iF Design Award, and the Red Dot Design Award.

Photo: Marcus Dawes, CC BY-SA 3.0. Monochromatic and background blurred.