“My heart belongs to the details. I actually always found them to be more important than the big picture. Nothing works without details. They are everything, the baseline of quality.” A stationery design inspired by Braun’s styling needs Dieter Ram’s words to revise his design philosophy, a way to look into the minds that shaped the face of modern industrial design. To channel the same philosophies, we have this Braun-inspired pencil sharpener, and let’s look at how it touches the design principles in every facet of its design.

Meet the Co-Box, an electric pencil sharpener, minimal and geometric by design that is a worthy addition to every design nerd’s desk. The design is a white square shape, accentuated by an orange circle, reminiscent of the button we would see on our Braun machines. The circle also acts as an entry point for your pencil. The shavings get collected in a transparent box, to be disposed of at your conveniece. The design history of our 20th century is filled with iconic design moments, each one a point in time when the object became a part of our everyday life, almost seamlessly – all because of the nature of their design. This sharpener encapsulates the same timeless spirit and just like you hang your favorite posters on your wall, every designer holds an object by their iconic design mentors on their desk.

Simplicity, excellence, and functionality – these are the pillar of good design, and maybe having this sharpener on your desk will remind you to stay decluttered in your design philosophy, the way Dieter Rams envisioned good design should be!

Designers: Yang Lei, Bryan Ding, Canaan Wen with Yifeeling Design