The minimalist vision of Dieter Rams is summed up in the cover art of Phaidon’s 300-page hardback tribute to the designer. Dieter Rams: The Complete Works by Klaus Klemp chronicles the impact the visionary’s ten principles for good design had on each and every consumer item influenced by Rams’ philosophy. His minimalist approach put an emphasis on ergonomics and practicality. Throughout this homage to the designer, Rams’ eye for design is highlighted in the products he created, ranging from appliances to furniture. Klemp highlights the work of Rams, whose nondescript approach easily goes unnoticed to the undiscerning eye. Through that effort, Rams is given the recognition he rightfully deserves.
Design philosophy is a field that the author has become an authority of as a professor at the HfG Offenbach in Germany. There, Klemp is a professor of design theory, chronicling the works of Rams and his contemporaries. Rams’ works with Braun, Vitsoe, and other brands proved to be career-defining collaborations that serve as seminal moments in Klemp’s chronology of the designer’s works which are brilliantly captured by the 300 illustrations in this book.