If you visit the Vitsoe site, you will only see three products. A shelving unit, a chair, and a table. All are designs by the famous Dieter Rams. If I’m not mistaken, Vitsoe’s bread and butter is its singular shelving unit.

Did you know the calculator on your iPhone is based on Dieter Ram’s design he made for Braun in 1980? I didn’t.

The company’s first impression was “less is more”… “less is better”….a kind of simplicity that speaks to solid design. Something also fascinating is that on their career page they specifically note they want people who are principled and polite. Both very rare terms but they say a lot.

The famed shelving unit isn’t a static one-size-fits-all product. It’s called the "606 Universal Shelving System” and 'system' would be the right term for it. One purchases the brackets and can continuously customize them to fit specific needs and spatial constraints.

Maybe this doesn’t sound phenomenal but it’s kind of like solving a puzzle and it can make the shelf a living organism that evolves as the person evolves.

I don’t know if this is odd behaviour or not but I’ve rearranged the furniture in my home about five times…meaning I’ll rehaul everything in the home every 1.5 years. It just seems like furniture needs to be dynamic to fit the evolving needs so if it were designed with a systemic focus….it just seems to make sense.

This way…we won’t need to subsume to unnecessary consumerism…which would lead to less waste (literally but also in wealth, time etc…).

I didn’t come upon Vitsoe because of a keen eye for design, unfortunately. Rather, I learned about their hiring practices where they only hire when the majority of the people in the company believe they would ‘love’ working for the candidate. A childhood obsession with Lego is another materially important factor.

They also use a telephone screen purposely. It’s so they don’t judge the applicant by appearance but also to see if the applicant cares enough to have the call in a quiet place. Apparently, this weeds out most people. But it’s such stories focused on the detail that makes the difference.

In many ways, the products companies sell are interlinked with their modus operandi, culture, and leadership.