Radios, speakers, calculators and razors are neatly showcased at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongui-dong, Seoul. The 400 simple designs in mostly black and white bring to mind gadgets from a very popular brand: Apple.

The exhibition organizers must have found the similarity as well, because iPods and iPads can be spotted in every nook and corner of the show. All exhibits, regardless of whether they were produced several years ago or decades ago, are timeless and chic to fit in anywhere, anytime.

The exhibition “Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams” features designs by the legendary industrial designer Rams ― whom Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of Industrial Design at Apple, is known to have been enormously influenced by.

Organized by Germany’s Museum fur Angewandte Kunst and Japan’s Suntory Museum, the touring exhibition was first held in Osaka in 2008, Tokyo and London in 2009 and Frankfurt earlier this year before it finally arrived here. After the Seoul show, it will be move to San Francisco Museum next year.

Klaus Klemp, curator of the German museum, offered his insight into why Rams made his designs so timeless by introducing a brilliant example to the press Thursday. 

“What happens if all the population in China and India wanted to have a new coffee machine? First, there would not be enough material to produce so many every year. So why not make a good design that can be used for three, five, or why not ten years?” said Klemp.

Rams, an architect-turned designer, is gifted at coming up with such long-lasting designs. He created many best-selling designs throughout his 40-year-career at Braun and Vitsoe. The 77-year-old retired from Braun in 1997 and received the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2007 for achievements in the area of design.

Though industrial design applies to consumer goods that are to be mass produced and used, it should still be a quality production, Rams pointed out.

“Good design gives the opportunity of feeling at home in our culture. Poor design is instant and is an exploitation of human weaknesses,” said Rams.

The ten points of Rams’ design ethos ― which starts with number one, “Good design is innovate,” and ends with number ten, “Good design is as little design as possible” ― are passed on to many young designers. Products designed by designers who pay homage to Rams can be found at the show as well. 

“I am absolutely sure that my ten statements are not changed. There is no reason to change. They are still, maybe more important than 20 years ago, especially for students,” said Rams.

About John Ive, one of those who used to look up to Rams and has now became very big, the German designer said that he likes him very much, and his designs, too.

“There is something similar between John and me. It is the novel and strong connection to the entrepreneur. One of the most important things when you make designs is to take into account the company’s directions and goals,” said Rams.

He added a message to designers of the future.

“Always go to the world with eyes wide open. We have lots of things today that we really don’t need. We don’t need such a lot of things, we need more clear things. The main objective of the industrial design of the future should fulfill not only one function but many.”

The exhibition runs through March 20 at Daelim Contemporary Art Museum in Tongui-dong, central Seoul. Tickets range from 1,000 won to 5,000 won. For more information, call (02) 720-0667 or visit www.daelimmuseum.org.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)