Test your design IQ

MANILA, Philippines - Who is the German product designer who together with his team in Braun was responsible for many of the seminal domestic electrical products — and some furniture — of the 20th century?

It is said that his ten principles for good design have influenced companies like Apple Inc. which designs products according to these principles.

He was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1932 and was strongly influenced by the presence of his grandfather who was a carpenter.  His early awards for carpentry led him to training as an architect as Germany was rebuilt in the early 1950s.

Prompted by an eagle eye friend, he applied for a job at the German electrical products company, Braun in 1955. He was recruited by Erwin and Artur Braun following the death of their father and his job was to modernize the interiors of the company that was launching revolutionary electrical products.

He became quickly involved in product design — purposely adding the clear perplex lid to the SK4 phonogram in 1956 — and was appointed head of design at Braun from 1961 to 1995.

Together with his design team, he was responsible for many of the seminal domestic electrical products — and some furniture in the 20th century.

In his first year at Braun, he presented a sketch of his proposals for the new interiors of the company. On the back of the wall of the boldly modern scheme, we can see the very first notion of a track based wall mounted storage system.

In 1959, he asked Erwin Braun if he could design furniture for Niels Vitsoe and Otto Zapf.  Braun’s spontaneous answer was, “Yes, it will help the market for our radios.”

A year later, the wall mounted 606 Universal Shelving System was launched.  He continues to work for Vitsoe until today.

Back in the 1980s, he was becoming increasingly concerned by the state of the world around him — “an impenetrable confusion of forms, colors, noises.” Aware that he was a significant contributor of that world, he asked himself an important question: Is my design good design? 

The answer formed his now celebrated 10 principles of  good design:

1. Is innovative

2. Makes a product useful

3. Is aesthetic

4. Makes a product understandable

5. Is unobtrusive

6.  Is honest

7.  Is long lasting

8. Is thorough down to the last detail

9. Is environmentally friendly

10. Is as little design as possible

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Last week’s question: Who is the Cuban-born Basque chef who was one of the founding members of the New Basque Cuisine and is known as the teacher of Michelin-star chefs Pedro Subijana and Ramon Roteta?

Answer: Luis Irizar

Winner: Rodge T. Pantan of GMA Cavite

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Text your answer to 0905-3471998 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1943. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.