Calling all gadget lovers: Braun design retrospective opens in London

Nostalgia is currently a big trend in design (many insiders say the regression is a reaction to the grim economic climate), so the 'retro-looking' radios and other devices by Braun's head designer Dieter Rams -- on show at London's Design Museum from November 18 -- should hit the right note with gadget fans.

Nostalgia is currently a big trend in design (many insiders say the regression is a reaction to the grim economic climate), so the 'retro-looking' radios and other devices by Braun's head designer Dieter Rams - on show at London's Design Museum from November 18 - should hit the right note with gadget fans.

From 1955 to 1995, Rams developed more than 500 products, mainly audio equipment but also shavers and calculators, for the electronics manufacturer, reason enough for the organizers to stage the first Rams retrospective in the UK in 12 years.

"Dieter Rams' elegant products challenged original concepts of design thought by reducing electrical switches to a minimum and arranging them in an orderly manner," they explained in a release.

"Transparent plastics and wooden veneers were mixed and colour schemes were limited to tones of pure whites and greys, the only splash of colour being allocated to switches and dials," they said, adding that they set out to show how Bauhaus lover Rams' simple and functional ethos still has an impact on the design landscape today. Film footage, commissioned interviews, models, sketches, prototypes and images will serve this goal.

Less and More - The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams, which will also showcases Rams' furniture for Vitsoe, runs through March 7. Tickets cost £8.50 (€9.50) or less.

Site: designmuseum.org