: Can good design, contrary to Dieter Rams' 10 design principles, be an "end in itself"? Good Design Is Innovative: The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted.

@Shakeerah625

Posted in: #DesignPrinciples

Good Design Is Innovative:
The possibilities for innovation are not, by any means, exhausted.
Technological development is always offering new opportunities for
innovative design. But innovative design always develops in tandem
with innovative technology, and can never be an end in itself.
- Dieter Rams


In a collection of Ten Principles of Good Design, Dieter Rams explains that good design is innovative, but "cannot be an end in itself".

He goes on to explain that nicely through another of his ten principles:


Good Design Is Honest: It does not make a product more innovative,
powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to
manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept.


Now, I like Dieter Rams. These principles to me, are like dogma. Except for this one part.

I feel like there might be situations where good design isn't "honest". Good design is design that serves the purpose of the client, in all cases, right?

Is this statement about design inaccurate? Can design be an end in itself?

After all, if a beautiful design on a really bad product sells a few million units, that's an "end" isn't it? The market value of the product can be based on the design itself, which means the design is effective and acts as an "end in itself".

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