Have you ever wondered about the Brauns design evolution , the foundation of one of the most important design-based companies in the world today? You’ve probably purchased a Braun product at some point in your life, and you’ve certainly seen them while browsing the aisles at your local department store. You just can’t ignore the fascinating and innovative designs of Braun products. Let’s look at a history of their design evolution.
Braun Design History
In the 1920s, Braun was just a little engineering shop. But, by the 1960s, it had become known around the world for its small electrical appliances – a phenomenon driven by technical expertise, amazing innovation, true quality, and awesome design. Now, nearly 100 years after it was founded, Braun is a part of P&G, the biggest consumer goods products corporation on earth. From humble beginnings to worldwide fame, the history of Braun design evolution is fascinating. The company’s signature design ethos has been largely responsible for its worldwide fame and acclaim.
First Electric Shavers
In 1921, an engineer named Max Braun set up the company, and he started designing radio parts. By 1929, he was making power amplifiers and radio sets. He was one of the first manufacturers on the European continent to merge record players and radios into a single unit. The distinctive Braun logo was created in 1934.
In World War II, the company was almost forced to abandon its consumer products manufacturing. The factories in Frankfurt were almost completely destroyed in 1944.
Max Braun started rebuilding his company in 1945 with a group of 150 employees. In 1950, the company came out with the first electric shaver. The underlying engineering principle of the first electric shaver is still used in Braun products today.
The Braun Sons: The New Company Management Duo
When Max Braun died suddenly in 1951 (shortly after rebuilding his company), his sons had to take over the company. Fortunately his sons weren’t completely unprepared for the task. One son had a business degree, and another son was an engineer.
The brothers were saddened by the Nazi dictatorship, and they wanted to take the company in a direction that would help wash away that memory (even if it was in a small way). The brothers had a dream for a better future that was based on respecting customers and employees. To realize this vision, they created a bold entrepreneurial concept. They created a magazine for employees, as well as a health center and cafeteria for staff.
The New Design Era with Dieter Rams
The new design era that the brothers ushered in was in response to their perception of of their potential customers: aware and intelligent, someone who is interested in minimalistic products which give him more personal fulfillment and freedom.
The brothers were serious about a breakthrough design, and they pursued it for over eight months, talking to leading designers in Germany and visiting design studios. Everything changed when Dieter Rams was hired. It was a big game-changer. His design style spread through the entire product line, and influenced the Company’s communications and marketing as well. This helped give Braun a corporate identity way before the term was even used. Braun had a brand identity long before companies were thinking about design and branding in such a serious way.
Braun Design Evolution Over The Decades
The new design era initiated by Dieter Rams and the team at Braun gained fame very quickly. Even in the late 1950s, Braun products were chosen for major permanent collections like at MoMa in NYC. Throughout this period, Braun’s main strength in radios and record players continued on. However, their electric shaver department became really big in the 1960s. Their household products, like juicers and kitchen machines, became very popular in the 1960s, as well. Their brand became popular around the world.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the company expanded into more design segments, and it put somewhat of a strain on the Braun design team. The company came out with hair dryers, styling appliances, and a variety of personal care products. The company also unveiled calculators, watches, and clocks.
Braun has set new design standards, out-innovated the competition, and is well known around the world for the precision and clarity of its design language.
Right now, Braun focuses on four major areas: male grooming with electric shavers, female grooming with epilators, Satin Hair stylers, and kitchen appliances. The company’s original values are still there. The founder, and his sons who carried on his vision, should be remembered for the integrity, focus, and craftsmanship that the company exemplifies to this day.
Braun Has Designed Some Of The Most Well-known Consumer Products. Braun has come out with electric razors, food processors, televisions, coffee grinders, hair dryers, coffee makers, clocks, radios, curling irons, and more.
Braun Series Shavers
Braun Series 1
There are four main models of Braun shaver from which to choose. They are known as the Series 1, Series 3, Series 5 and Series 7. Each successive tier brings you a more advanced design capable of taking your shaving to greater heights, both in terms of speed and comfort. The Series 1 is the entry-level model, and while it is certainly very effective, it does not offer the more advanced features available on the other models. Despite this, the popularity of even this most simple of models says a lot about the general quality of Braun shavers.
Braun Series 3
The Braun Series 3 shaver is a notable step up from the entry-level Series 1. While each will shave you effectively, the Series 3 has some other tricks up its sleeve to make the process easier, faster and more comfortable. Firstly, Braun advertises its unusually ergonomic design, which makes shaving very comfortable. The wet-and-dry option also facilitates a wide variety of preferences. It is perfectly safe to use the Series 3 in the shower, for example. The free-floating head system allows the foils to follow the shape of your face with great accuracy, eliminating discomfort and shaving you closely in fewer strokes.
Braun Series 5
One of the most interesting features of the Braun Series 5 shaver (and one that makes it stand out among many alternatives on the market) is the ability to tackle the more difficult hairs on your neck. The so-called Power-Comb system is designed neatly and comfortably to lift hairs off your skin before cutting them, which greatly reduces the number of passes necessary to achieve a smooth result. This in turn greatly increases the comfort of shaving with the Series 5, since your sensitive skin need not be tormented by repeat passes in order to get the most stubborn hairs.
Braun Series 7
The Series 7 is the top-level Braun shaver and the jewel in the company’s crown, their latest is the Braun 7 790cc and the Braun Series 7-799CC which now supports wet/dry shaving. While you can certainly expect to pay a premium for such a high-quality product, many men around the world have found it easily worth the asking price. The Series 7 boasts perhaps one of the closest and most comfort shaves of any shaver on the market. Many of the technologies and advances present in other Braun shaver models are also present here, and the Series 7 is further enhanced by Braun’s Sonic Technology, the ability to personalize its performance and even a unique aesthetic design that looks really great. If you want the absolute top level in shaving technology, you would be hard pressed to do much better than the Braun Series 7 shaver.
Conclusion
Each of the Braun shaver models presented here will be perfect for someone. One of the attractions of the Braun lineup is the model range. While some companies boast dozens of models with only obscure differences between them, Braun offers a simple and effective four-tiered model system that makes it very easy to choose the right shaver for you. Which one will best suit you depends on your personal preferences and your skin type, but what is true regardless, is that with Braun shaver technology, product design talent and quality control, you will have a shaver that lasts you for a long time and does exactly what it is intended to do.