10 principles of good design

10 Commandments of Design, conceived by German industrial designer Dieter Rams, sum this up well enough that we could just about put "sustainable" in the middle and call it good.

1. Innovative

(technology offers opportunity for innovation)

2.Makes a product useful

(functional, psychological and aesthetic. Emphasises usefulness and disregards anything could detract from it)

3.Aesthetic

(well executed object)

4.Understandable

(product talk at best self explanatory)

5.Unobtrusive

(neutral and restrained leave room for users self expression)

6.Honest

7. Long lasting

8.Thorough, down to last detail

(show respect towards consumer)

9.Environmentally-friendly

(design makes contribution to preservation of environment. Conserves resources and minimal physical and visual pollution)

10. As little design as possible (Minimal/simplicity)

Concentrates on essential aspects, not burdened by non-essential components, minimal.

Dieter Rams: ten principles for good design

additional thoughts:

Succinct- briefly and clearly expressed

Minimal

Endlessly useful