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"Less but better"
Dieter Rams
Ten principles of good design
Braun design
As head of design at Braun, Dieter Rams emerged as one of the most influential industrial designers of the late 20th century by defining an elegant, legible, yet rigorous visual language for its products. He defined ten principles of good design.
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
In 1921, engineer Max Braun established his company in Frankfurt am Main, first making radio parts and by 1929 complete power amplifiers and radio sets. Max Braun was one of the first manufacturers in Europe to combine radios and record players in a single unit.
During World War II, Braun was compelled to more or less abandon products for the civilian sector, and in 1944, the Frankfurt factories were nearly entirely destroyed. With 150 employees, Max Braun began rebuilding his company in 1945.
Max Braun died suddenly in November 1951. His sons Artur (26) and Erwin (30) had to take over company management from one day to the next. As early as 1951, Braun brothers introduced an employee magazine, soon followed by the groundbreaking Braun Health Center and a modern cafeteria offering high-quali- ty, nutritious meals – traditions continued up until today.
The hiring of 23-year-old Dieter Rams, in 1955, had far-reaching implications. Rams started as an interior designer and soon became the nucleus of Braun’s own design department. Gradually, the new design style spread not only to the entire product line, but also to all communications instruments – from stationery and use instructions all the way to advertising. This gave Braun a corporate identity long before the term was even coined.
TFG2 (1968)
The new design concept implemented by Dieter Rams and the Braun design team quickly gained fame; as early as in the late 1950’s, Braun products were selected for prestigious permanent collections such as at the MoMa in New York. During this period, Braun’s traditional strength in radios, record players and combined hi fi units continued.
In the 1990’s two important business segments emerged: electrical oral care and female hair removal. A unique partnership between Braun and Oral-B led to the creation of electric toothbrushes designed by the Braun design team – a partnership still successful today within P&G. Braun also acquired Silk-épil epilators and expanded this into a leading international brand for female beauty.
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The Braun logo with the distinctive raised and rounded “A” in the middle was born in 1934.
1950 saw the launch of the first electric shaver, the “S 50”, combining an oscillating cutter block with an ul- tra-thin yet stable steel foil clamped above it. This principle – in further refined and perfected form – is employed in Braun shavers up to the present day.
The starting point for the new design |
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Clocks, watches and |
calculators |
concept was a positive assessment |
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were important primarily in the 1980’s |
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of the potential shopper: intelligent |
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and set new design standards for |
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and open-minded, someone who |
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clarity and reduction, combined with |
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appreciated unobtrusive products |
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innovative technology. |
During the |
which left him or her ample freedom |
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1980’s Braun concluded its presence |
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for personal fulfilment. |
SK4 (1956) |
in the HiFi business with an exclu- |
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After a landmark speech by design- |
sive ‘Limited edition’ to then focus on |
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er Wilhelm Wagenfeld on industrial |
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the more lucrative small appliance |
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design and the responsibility of the |
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sector, in particular personal care |
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entrepreneur, Erwin Braun felt so |
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and household products. Shavers |
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strongly confirmed in his plans that |
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became – and still are today - the |
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he immediately commissioned Wa- |
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biggest business segment for Braun, |
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genfeld with a design assignment. |
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featuring design innovations such as |
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Seeking further designers, Braun in |
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two-component molding to achieve |
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late 1954 discovered the fledgling |
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soft nubs on a hard housing, for bet- |
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“Hochschule fuer Gestaltung” de- |
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ter handling. |
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sign academy in Ulm, which set out |
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to carry on the work of the Bauhaus |
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movement disbanded by the Nazis |
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in 1933. |
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Today Braun focuses on the four key segments: male grooming with Braun Series electric shavers, female grooming with Silk-épil epilators, Satin Hair with hair care appliances and household with Multiquick hand blenders and other useful kitchen helpers. The company’s values still share the original vision of the Braun brothers: creating products based on respect for people – employees and customers – and using design as an essential medium to achieve this. As expressed by Braun’s Head of Design Oliver Grabes, Braun’s design philosophy is based on its rich past tradition, but it continues to evolve to meet consumer needs of the future.
ABW30 (1982) |
ET66 (1987) |
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Design awards 2014
German Design Award
Braun watches and clocks were awarded a total of four German Design Awards at the annual awards ceremony in Frankfurt on 7th February 2014. The German Design Award is an international premium prize, which successfully enhances the standing of both designers and companies. Prizes are awarded to top quality products and projects from product and communication design, design personalities and newcomers, all of whom are —in their own way— pioneering in German and international design landscape. As an industry competition for the industry that highlights participants’ great design expertise, the German Design Award has an excellent public image. This is also down to the reputation of its organizer, the German Design Council, which has been representing and supporting the German design industry with its expertise in all questions relating to design for 60 years now. To win a German Design Award on the occasion of the anniversary of the German Design Council is especially significant – it stands for 60 years of design culture.
BN0095
Following the IF and Red dot awards of 2013, this unique watch was recognised once again – this time receiving four German Design Awards from a jury of leading international design experts in 2014.
12
Design awards 2013
iF award |
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Red Dot design award |
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Braun watches and clocks were awarded a total of |
Braun watches and clocks were awarded a total of |
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four prestigious iF awards and six acclaimed gold iF |
two prestigious Red Dot awards and four acclaimed |
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awards at the annual ceremony in Munich on 22nd |
Red Dot ‘honourable mentions’ in 2013. The Red |
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February 2013. The iF design award was established |
Dot design award dates back to 1955 and is now |
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in 1953 and is one of the most highly sought after |
one of the world’s largest and most distinguished |
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awards for design excellence. |
design competitions. Red Dot stands for belonging |
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to the best in design and business. |
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BNC009BK, BNC009WH
Following the Red dot awards of 2012 these exceptional Braun Digital alarm clocks were recognised once again - this time receiving two gold iF awards from the jury of leading international design experts in 2013.
BNC010BK, BNC010WH
Following the Red dot awards of 2012 these exceptional Braun Digital FM/AM radio clocks were recognised once again - this time receiving two gold iF awards from the jury of leading international design experts in 2013.
BNC013BK, BNC013WH
The new Braun Digital weather station clock has been immediately recognised as a design icon by receiving two gold iF awards and two Red Dot design awards from the juries of leading international design experts in 2013. This clock reinvents the traditional weather station. Its beautiful form has been created to be a show-piece in the home, whilst the unique customisable interface is truly a pleasure to use.
BN0095
Following the success of the Braun Prestige digital watch in 2012, where it won both the iF award and Red dot award, the new Braun Prestige analogue watch has itself been recognised by receiving four iF awards and four Red Dot 'honourable mention' awards from the juries of leading international design experts in 2013.
The case of this Braun analogue watch is carved of one single block of steel. This one-piece’ construction eliminates the need for a case-back and in turn removes the element of potential leakage. The Swiss movement is mounted into the case from the top before being covered and sealed by the sapphire crystal. This allowed the Braun designers to taper the bottom part of the watch more elegantly and attach the band lugs in such a way that would not be possible with conventional watch construction.
14 |
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Design awards 2012
iF award
Braun watches and clocks were awarded a total of six prestigious iF awards and two acclaimed gold iF awards at the annual ceremony in Munich on 9th February 2012. The iF design award was established in 1953 and is one of the most highly sought after awards for design excellence. Braun is world renowned for its characteristic, style-defining form language. It is Braun’s comprehensive technical and design quality that makes every product so fascinating. The reflection of this technical excellence in the design of Braun products has become a watchword in international industry in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Red Dot design award
Braun watches and clocks were awarded a total of ten prestigious Red Dot awards and two acclaimed Red Dot ‘honourable mentions’ The Red Dot design award dates back to 1955 and is now one of the world’s largest and most distinguished design competitions. Red Dot stands for belonging to the best in design and business. Excellent design is selected by competent expert juries in the areas of product design, communication design, and design concepts. Winning products are presented in the Red Dot Design Museum on the premises of the historical Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen. In 2012, 1800 companies and designers from 58 countries registered to the “Red Dot award: product design”. Within the competition's 19 different categories, a total of 4515 registrations were submitted, but only the best were awarded.
Braun Digital clock range
The Braun Digital travel, alarm and radio clocks received six Red Dot awards from the jury of leading international design experts in 2012. This range of innovative and cutting edge clocks are designed for the 21st century, reflecting Braun’s core philosophy that design mirrors functionality. Here technical excellence and quality combine to form the new aesthetic.
Braun Classic chronograph
The outstanding design concept of the Braun Classic chronograph watch received two Gold iF product design awards and two Red Dot honourable mentions from the juries of leading international design experts in 2012. This watch exemplifies clean, modern design, making it timelessly classic.
BN0035WHBKG
Braun Prestige digital
The Braun Prestige digital watch received four iF and four Red Dot product design awards from the jury of leading international design experts in 2012. The state of the art technology is reflected in its cutting edge design, encapsulating Braun’s core values of functionality, quality and aesthetics.
BN0106SLBTG
Braun Sports chronograph
The Braun Sports chronograph watch received two iF product design awards from the jury of leading international design experts in 2012. The one-piece integrated flow of the high grade silicon strap together with the stainless steel bezel creates a functional aesthetic that resonates with modern times.
BN0115whbkbkg
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Watches
Clocks
Calculators
Gents
BN0021
Classic watch
Quartz 3 hand movement50m water resistant
Matt stainless steel caseSnap case back
Scratch resistant mineral glassNew leather strap
38mm x D9mm
BN0021BKBKG
BN0021whbrG
Gents
BN0024
Classic watch
Quartz 3 hand movement50m water resistant
Matt stainless steel caseSnap case back
Scratch resistant mineral glassNew leather strap
38mm x D8.5mm
BN0024whbkG
BN0024bkbrG
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