What are the basic design principles

The most enduring design principles are not rules but removals. Strip away the unnecessary. A product should not shout about itself. It should slip into life quietly, serve its purpose completely, and ask for nothing more. The lota, that humble water vessel, is a masterclass in this. No decoration, no gimmicks. Pure function, pure form.

But simplicity is not emptiness. Good design plants a seed and waits. It creates conditions for surprise, for transformation, for the unexpected. Like a stone dropped in still water, the ripples were never in the plan.

The deepest principle is this: design should tickle the senses of whoever experiences it. If it doesn't, something is still missing.