Product Design Class with Andrés Alfaro Hofmann

DATE

17.07.2025

Through a rigorous and detailed analysis, he explained how good design has transcended fleeting trends to become a language capable of influencing future generations of designers and companies.

The core of the session was a comparison between Braun and Apple—two companies that, despite belonging to different contexts, share an aesthetic and conceptual sensitivity that has left a deep mark on industrial design. Braun, under the leadership of Dieter Rams, established the foundations of functionalist design with products that are sober, precise, and free of ornamentation. His well-known principle “less, but better” served as a starting point to show how design can be both ethical and visually impeccable.

Apple, particularly during Jonathan Ive’s tenure, reinterpreted Rams’s principles in a contemporary key. From the first iPods to the iPhones and MacBooks, the influence of Braun’s products is clearly visible: the use of white, the removal of the superfluous, clarity in interface, and a focus on user experience. Ive not only paid tribute to Rams but also translated his philosophy into a new language suited to the digital and technological world.

The class offered a review of this historical connection between the two brands and opened up space for reflection on the designer’s role today. Andrés Alfaro Hofmann emphasized that knowing the past and recognizing influences is not a limitation, but a way to shape the future with insight. The comparison between Braun and Apple extended beyond aesthetics, raising deeper questions about design ethics, user responsibility, and the ongoing relevance of rational thinking applied to objects.

MARCH VALENCIA | ARQUITECTURA Y DISEÑO

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