Everyone loves a rulebook until it starts to feel like a prison. In the world of industrial design, Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design have become gospel. They’re quoted in boardrooms, printed on posters, and whispered amongst designers as if uttering them gives you a badge of taste.

But in our day-to-day work, we don’t really practice it as often as we should. We shouldn’t stress. As I was going through the Rams book, I wondered: What if you broke every single one of them?

Would your product crash and burn? Would it be mocked on Behance comments? Or… could it actually succeed?

This post is a thought experiment.

1. Good design is innovative

The Fujifilm X100 series looks retro with manual dials. It has a viewfinder like it’s 1978. And yet? Massive cult following. Resale value is still holding. Users crave nostalgia when innovation feels sterile.

Sometimes “innovative” feels alienating. Familiarity can outperform futurism when the user wants comfort, not disruption. Probably reuse old ideas, aesthetics, tech, and break this rule.

2. Good design makes a product useful

The Nothing Phone (1)’s glyph lights are rarely useful. But they’re memorable. They make a statement. They create buzz. And in today’s saturated phone market, that’s utility in disguise.

A product that sparks joy or curiosity might be more useful than one that merely works. Focus on emotional or aspirational value instead of making it bare minimum.

3. Good design is aesthetic

Crocs are aesthetically jarring. But functionally amazing. They won. They made space for ugly-functional to thrive.

Probably, make it intentionally ugly. Sometimes bad taste is just future taste.

4. Good design makes a product understandable

Blender (3D software) with its open-source power attracted a community willing to climb the learning wall of 3D design. Now it’s everywhere from indie films to design schools to work places.

Introduce a learning curve as complexity isn’t necessarily the enemy.

5. Good design is unobtrusive

Beats by Dre is over-ear, oversized, logo-heavy. They scream attention. But they rewrote the headphone category through celebrity culture and brand boldness.

Visibility can be a feature and not a flaw. Make your product loud, proud, and in-your-face.

6. Good design is honest

Faux wood panels in 90s car interiors didn’t fool anyone. But they signalled aspiration. Consumers didn’t care. It was less about truth and more about vibe.

Fake it till you make it? Honesty is valuable until people are willing to trade it for fantasy.

7. Good design is long-lasting

Fast fashion electronics like the under ₹1,000 neckband earphones aren’t built to last. But they meet users at a price point that feels fair for a few months’ usage. They are disposable by design. They aren’t built to last.

Durability has to align with cost, use-case, and expectation. Not every product needs to be a legacy item.

8. Good design is thorough down to the last detail

Take IKEA flatpack furnitures. They have Allen key-induced injuries and occasional misalignments during assembly. But users forgive it because of price, experience, and design-for-self.

Detail doesn’t always equal care. Sometimes empowerment matters more for a brand towards their users. Sometimes you should cut corners deliberately.

9. Good design is environmentally friendly

Early mobile phone chargers probably had hundreds of proprietary designs and non-recyclable plastics. But they enabled scale, utility, and access for billions.

Sustainability must compete with scale. Designers must bridge users into the future. They can sometimes prioritise growth over sustainability.

10. Good design is as little design as possible

RGB gaming rigs and mechanical keyboards are pure chaos (I find them beautiful though). Neon. Clicks. Dials. Custom keycaps. But users love it. It feels personal. It becomes their identity.

Minimalism is not a virtue unless it’s desired. Sometimes clutter and/or maximalism is culture.

Design is a strategy not religion

Dieter Rams’ principles are timeless because they force us to pause and ask the right questions.

But not every product is trying to be timeless. Not every user needs minimalism. And not every business can afford purity.

Lithium-ion batteries have a finite shelf life. The chemistry degrades. Designing a long-lasting product around a power source that will definitely fail in 2–3 years? That’s a contradiction. Here, Rams’ principle “Good design is long-lasting” clashes with the reality of chemistry. The better strategy might be to design for easy battery replacement or planned refresh cycles instead.

In mass-market products for price-sensitive users, reducing packaging layers or component counts isn’t just about savings but actual survival. For a ₹899 electric trimmer or ₹1499 bluetooth speaker, perfection in detailing (Rams’ “Good design is thorough down to the last detail”) could kill the unit economics. Better to focus on critical usability.

Gaming peripherals like RGB keyboards and ultra-clicky mice defy Rams’ idea that “Good design is unobtrusive.” But their users want personality, feedback, flair. In this world of game design, design is about showing off. And that’s valid.

Startup hardware products often launch before they’re “ready” by classical standards. Maybe the finish isn’t perfect. Maybe the app is a bit buggy. But they’ve hit a wedge in the market like the early Oura ring or original Tile tracker. Waiting for every Rams checkbox to be ticked would mean missing the window. In these cases, “Good design is as little design as possible” is actually replaced by: “Good design ships.”

Great design is full of contradictions. But the best designers will navigate through their purist selves.