Lineage of German Design

What ZACK inherits – Contemporary German Design Today

More than 100 years have passed since the Bauhaus was founded in Weimar. The philosophy of "the integration of art and craft" championed by Walter Gropius was inherited by the Ulm School of Design,...

German and Japanese Design Aesthetics: Why Wabi-Sabi and Bauhaus Resonate

"Less is more" – this phrase is attributed to Mies van der Rohe, but in Japanese culture, the concept of "wabi-sabi" has long embodied a similar spirit. How did these two aesthetics, born on differ...

Founding the Red Dot Award: From Essen to the World

The Ruhr industrial region stretches across western Germany. Its central city, Essen, was once known as a city of iron and coal, the former headquarters of the Krupp industrial conglomerate. In the...

Why the iF Design Award Was Born in Hanover: The Origins of One of the World's Largest Design Awards

Every spring, the northern German city of Hanover transforms into a hub where industrialists and designers from around the world gather. From this city, home to one of the world's largest industria...

What is DIN Standard? The Origin of Germans' Obsession with Standardization

Open a desk drawer and you'll find a stack of A4 paper. Whether it's copier paper, a contract, or a resume, the size is always 210 x 297mm. Printers, files, envelopes – everything is designed to fi...

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 st...

Good design is as little design as possible. —Rams's 10th principle

Dieter Rams's "Ten Principles of Good Design," Principle 10: "Good design is as little design as possible (Gutes Design ist so wenig Design wie möglich)." Vitsœ's official text continues:"Less, but...

Good design is environmentally friendly – Rams’ ninth principle

Dieter Rams' "Ten Principles for Good Design," Principle 9: "Good design is environmentally friendly (Gutes Design ist umweltfreundlich)." The official Vitsoe text continues: "Design makes an essen...

Good design is thorough to the last detail—Rams' eighth principle

Dieter Rams's 8th of the "Ten Principles of Good Design" states: "Good design is thorough down to the last detail (Gutes Design ist konsequent bis ins letzte Detail)." Vitsœ's official text continu...

Good design is long-lasting - Rams' 7th Principle

Dieter Rams's "10 Principles for Good Design," Principle 7: "Good design is long-lasting (Gutes Design ist langlebig)." The official text continues: "It avoids being fashionable and thus never appe...