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Traditional graphic design cannot be "solved" and will always be ruled by more or less cyclical trends because graphic design is used (among other things) as a

Traditional graphic design cannot be "solved" and will always be ruled by more or less cyclical trends because graphic design is used (among other things) as a differentiating branding element for marketing and communication. And you can't differentiate a product when everyone has the same branding. Someone starts standing out. People start copying them. And then a new trend emerges, ad infinitum. Industrial design is a different question, but nothing is ever "pure" industrial design. The reason you think Rams's designs won't ever be outdated is down to personal taste and what part of the cycle we're in. Apple dominates the design zeitgeist and thus Rams is fashionable. That too will fade, notwithstanding the validity of his design principles.

spectramax 7y ago
Good point about the differentiating factor in branding. I think about design in same way, whether its web design, garden design or industrial design. For example, similar trends have picked up in Cars. RGB mood lighting - everyone is adding it now without fundamentally considering its utilitarian value. Or even if they realize it is "decoration", market forces and consumer choices are obliging car manufacturers to install RGB interior lighting. Same thing with brake light bars that span the entire width of the car. Even 2020 Porsche 911 had to add one!
- rypskar 7y ago
  At least the RGB interior lighting is better than the "lets have all instruments in blue to ruin night-vision" trend
- davidivadavid 7y ago
  Oh, to be sure, there are thoughtless design decisions that are made. Note that that kind of trend chasing to get to feature parity is often just bad product management rather than design per se.
  - spectramax 7y ago
    I wish there was more information about design in regimented and disciplined fields such as Aviation where marketing is deprioritized and utilitarianism, pragmatism and functionalism takes precedence. Cockpit design, radar screen layout, nuclear power plant control panels, etc are fascinating areas of design where lives are at stake. All the fluff in consumer design takes a back seat.
    - davidivadavid 7y ago
      I would certainly appreciate that kind of content too, maybe I'll do some research. But I can also see it both ways — applying functionalism to things like fashion is often a surprising source of insights and epiphanies.
titzer 7y ago
I totally agree with you. Unfortunately this triggers my rant mode: When branding hits hammers, I think I might quit the human race. Designers fundamentally do not understand that software is a tool that people use to get things done. Constant reorganization and redesign for trends literally robs people of their skills in learning to use software to accomplish their goals. I've been using computers since the early 90s. Essentially none of the things I learned early on apply anymore. Fuck, we don't even have menus that explain to us in native language what actions are available to us. I hate UIs and I hate UI designers. Openly. I need zero innovation in the design of the menus for a word processor or image manipulation tool. I am sick to death of learning this iteration of a file manager or settings menu, dock, or toolbar. And god damn all the icons, they are freaking Greek to me, and if they don't come with a tooltip I am loathe to click on anything that will just go boom. UIs are in a death spiral. But emacs works pretty much the same. I think I might stick with that another 20 years. /rant
- madeofpalk 7y ago
  > Designers fundamentally do not understand that software is a tool that people use to get things done. I find this point of view - that designers are inferior to developers - to be incredibly condescending and yet very typical of HN. I'm a developer, and I would hate to work with you or someone who holds this view point. You seem like poison in a development team. Regardless of whether you meant or not, that's what I see here. A bunch of developers telling designers that their bad at their job, that the devs know better than them, and devs know how to tell designers to do their jobs. > I am sick to death of learning this iteration of a file manager or settings menu, dock, or toolbar. You're literally just making stuff up. Apple, probably the most infamous capricious design company, hasn't changed their File manager, settings menu, dock, or toolbar in 19 years.
  - kristianc 7y ago
    > Regardless of whether you meant or not, that's what I see here. A bunch of developers telling designers that their bad at their job, that the devs know better than them, and devs know how to tell designers to do their jobs. It's exactly the same with marketers. Or managers. Or anyone who isn't a developer for that matter.

spectramax 7y ago

Good point about the differentiating factor in branding. I think about design in same way, whether its web design, garden design or industrial design. For example, similar trends have picked up in Cars. RGB mood lighting - everyone is adding it now without fundamentally considering its utilitarian value. Or even if they realize it is "decoration", market forces and consumer choices are obliging car manufacturers to install RGB interior lighting. Same thing with brake light bars that span the entire width of the car. Even 2020 Porsche 911 had to add one!

rypskar 7y ago
At least the RGB interior lighting is better than the "lets have all instruments in blue to ruin night-vision" trend
davidivadavid 7y ago
Oh, to be sure, there are thoughtless design decisions that are made. Note that that kind of trend chasing to get to feature parity is often just bad product management rather than design per se.
- spectramax 7y ago
  I wish there was more information about design in regimented and disciplined fields such as Aviation where marketing is deprioritized and utilitarianism, pragmatism and functionalism takes precedence. Cockpit design, radar screen layout, nuclear power plant control panels, etc are fascinating areas of design where lives are at stake. All the fluff in consumer design takes a back seat.
  - davidivadavid 7y ago
    I would certainly appreciate that kind of content too, maybe I'll do some research. But I can also see it both ways — applying functionalism to things like fashion is often a surprising source of insights and epiphanies.

titzer 7y ago

I totally agree with you. Unfortunately this triggers my rant mode: When branding hits hammers, I think I might quit the human race. Designers fundamentally do not understand that software is a tool that people use to get things done. Constant reorganization and redesign for trends literally robs people of their skills in learning to use software to accomplish their goals. I've been using computers since the early 90s. Essentially none of the things I learned early on apply anymore. Fuck, we don't even have menus that explain to us in native language what actions are available to us. I hate UIs and I hate UI designers. Openly. I need zero innovation in the design of the menus for a word processor or image manipulation tool. I am sick to death of learning this iteration of a file manager or settings menu, dock, or toolbar. And god damn all the icons, they are freaking Greek to me, and if they don't come with a tooltip I am loathe to click on anything that will just go boom. UIs are in a death spiral. But emacs works pretty much the same. I think I might stick with that another 20 years. /rant

madeofpalk 7y ago
> Designers fundamentally do not understand that software is a tool that people use to get things done. I find this point of view - that designers are inferior to developers - to be incredibly condescending and yet very typical of HN. I'm a developer, and I would hate to work with you or someone who holds this view point. You seem like poison in a development team. Regardless of whether you meant or not, that's what I see here. A bunch of developers telling designers that their bad at their job, that the devs know better than them, and devs know how to tell designers to do their jobs. > I am sick to death of learning this iteration of a file manager or settings menu, dock, or toolbar. You're literally just making stuff up. Apple, probably the most infamous capricious design company, hasn't changed their File manager, settings menu, dock, or toolbar in 19 years.
- kristianc 7y ago
  > Regardless of whether you meant or not, that's what I see here. A bunch of developers telling designers that their bad at their job, that the devs know better than them, and devs know how to tell designers to do their jobs. It's exactly the same with marketers. Or managers. Or anyone who isn't a developer for that matter.