Dieter Rams and ten principles for good design
designexplained.substack.com
designexplained.substack.com
Whole PLG motion depends on this.
> 10. Good design is aesthetic.
Unfortunately, these two principles conspire to produce the bland minimalist aesthetic that while some people like[1], leaves me feeling like I'm living in a sterile, clinical, and ultimately soulless environment.
We lament the lack of beauty in architecture and design and here, in this list, is the authoritative voice convincing people to produce more soulless objects. Design is a reflection of the designers interiorality, but what I see when I look at objects designed this way is a lack of interiorality which misses the point of art in it's entirety. It's the human equivalent of AI slop.
1. I understand it appeals as looking "clean" and makes some people's brains feel less itchy.
> 5. Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the users self-expression.
Let the decorations be decorations and art be art, while the tools we use to observe or create those other things should be instantly transparent extensions of the user.