German industrial designer once head designer of Braun, and a furniture designer for Vitsoe. His unobtrusive approach and belief in "less but better" design generated a timeless quality in his products and have influenced the design of many products, which also secured Rams worldwide recognition and appreciation.

Career

Dieter Rams began his studies in architecture and interior decoration at Wiesbaden School of Art. A year later, he took a break to gain practical experience in his carpentry apprenticeship. He returned to the Wiesbaden School of Art in 1948, after which he began working for Frankfurt-based architect Otto Apel. In 1955, he was recruited to Braun as an architect and an interior designer. In 1961, he became the chief design officer at Braun, a position he retained until 1995.

Dieter Rams was strongly influenced by the presence of his grandfather, a carpenter. Rams once explained his design approach as "Less, but better". Rams and his staff have designed many memorable products for Braun including the famous SK-4 record player and the high-quality 'D'-series (D45, D46) of 35mm film slide projectors. He is also known for his furniture collection for Vitsoe in the 1960s including the 606 universal shelving system and 620 chair programme.