One of the most interesting parts of his story is that he now looks back on his career with some regret. “If I had to do it over again, I would not want to be a designer,” he’s said. “There are too many unnecessary products in this world.” He has long been an advocate for the ideas of environmental consciousness and long-lasting products. He’s dismayed by today’s unsustainable world of over-consumption, where “design” has been reduced to a meaningless marketing buzzword.

In case you were wondering, this is Dieter Rams talking about product design and consumerism in Rams, a documentary by Gary Hustwit.