9 Simple Principles of Good Partnerships

Steve Jobs confronted Bill Gates after the launch of Windows: “I trusted you, and now you're stealing from us!"

Jobs felt that Microsoft had copied the graphic user interface (GUI) from Apple.

Bill Gates replied: 

"Well, Steve, I think there's more than one way of looking at it. I think it's more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it.”

But Xerox is not the only place that Apple has “stolen” from. 

Many of Apple’s most successful products were inspired by the work of Dieter Rams, a visionary German industrial designer, most famous for products from the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Jony Ive, Apple’s lead designer for 27 years, has described Dieter Rams as a role model.

Just look at these products that Rams designed in the 20th century alongside products that Apple launched in the 21st century: 

Rams’ Principles of Good Design

During his 30+ years leading design at Braun, Dieter Rams oversaw the design of over 500 products. His work, and the teams he assembled, helped to define modern product design.

Today, Rams’ minimalist approach is studied in design schools around the world and featured in museum exhibits.

But Dieter Rams did more than pioneer the function we now call product design. He elevated product design to a kind of philosophy that he summarized with one phrase “less, but better.”

In the late 1970’s Rams distilled his design philosophy into 10 principles that have become celebrated among designers:

1. Good design is innovative. 

2. Good design makes a product useful. 

3. Good design is aesthetic. 

4. Good design makes a product understandable. 

5. Good design is unobtrusive. 

6. Good design is honest. 

7. Good design is long-lasting. 

8. Good design is thorough down to the last detail. 

9. Good design is environmentally-friendly. 

10. Good design is as little design as possible. 

Principles of Good Partnerships v1

If Apple can draw inspiration from Dieter Rams and his design principles, then I can too!

Here are simple principles of good partnerships, inspired by Dieter Rams:

1. Good partnerships make products more useful for customers.

2. Good partnerships make companies more valuable.

3. Good partnerships make impact that is clear and understandable. 

4. Good partnerships are mutually beneficial.

5. Good partnerships are built upon trust. 

6. Good partnerships are cross-functional. 

7. Good partnerships are measurable. 

8. Good partnerships advance innovation.

9. Good partnerships adapt and endure. 

10. ???

This is a working collection. What partnership principles do you see missing from this list??

Reply to me with the principle(s) of good partnerships that you see missing and together we will refine this list.

More about Dieter Rams

• For a closer look at Rams’ principles of good design and some of the products he designed, checkout this feature by ReadyMag.

• 7 minute mini-documentary about Dieter Rams by the Victoria & Albert Museum.

• Full length documentary (75 minutes), “Rams” is on Prime Video and Apple+. (trailer).