Dieter Rams was born at Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1932.
His grandfather's work as a carpenter influenced him from the early years of his life, stimulating his love for the creation of objects. "My grandfather created things with his own hands. The forms were simple but very beautiful. It's what I have always wanted to do; I became a designer because I wanted to create things".
In 1947 he began studying architecture and interior design.
In 1953 he graduated from the Werkkunstschule of Wiesbaden, after also training for three years as a carpenter to acquire practical experience.
Between 1953 and 1955 he worked with Otto Apel's architectural practice in Frankfurt.
In 1955 he began his adventure with the Braun electrical appliances company, where he created a style. "In reality - he says in interviews - "I did nothing on my own. For instance, the links with the university were important. I was also lucky because I began and stopped at the right moment".
From his long period with the German firm, from 1955 to 1997, he earned the nickname of Mr Braun.
In 1964 at the MoMa in New York, the opening of a new design gallery was the occasion for an exhibition devoted to the whole line of Braun products, many of them designed by Dieter Rams.
In 1968 he was elected Honorary Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts in London.
From 1981 to 1997 he taught industrial design at the University of Hamburg.
Since 1988 he has been president of the German Design Council.
In 1991 he received an honorary degree from the Royal College of Arts in London; since 1992 he has been a member of the executive council of the ICSID (International Council of Societies of Industrial Design).
In 1996 he won the Design Medal awarded by the American Industrial Design Society.
He has won numerous other awards and many books have been written about his work.
Most of his designs for Braun are in the world's most important museums: the  MoMa, Berlin, London and Amsterdam.