Back in 1960, Dieter Rams's and Vitsœ's concept for 606 (it was the sixth design in 1960 - hence 606) was to achieve easy assembly and the greatest possible variability from the efficient manufacturing of a small number of identical parts.

Ignore fashion
The object of the original design intent was to create a truly timeless product. This demanded that fashion, style and taste were to be ignored in favour of simplicity and flexibility.

By so doing, a product might be created that would not only shrug off the vagaries of passing fashions (by sitting quietly in the background) but it might also respond to the changing demands of the user (by being truly and easily adaptable).

Relevant
Furthermore, by constantly updating the design in response to both market and production demands, the system could remain truly relevant.

Rigour
The rigour of the original thinking now allows you to behave in a way that suddenly seems so 21st century: when you move, you take a simple, adaptable product with you; you re-plan it to suit its changed environment or your changed requirements; and, finally, you might even add a few extra parts – they are available from stock.

It dawns on you why the initial outlay was worth it: you started with less; took it with you; and added more. You threw nothing away.

Evolution
Niels Vitsœ (1913-1995) used to say that a good design cannot stand still.

Charles Darwin put it even more succinctly when defining evolution as 'descent with modification'.

Architectural journalist, Hugh Pearman, recently brought such thinking bang up-to-date when he wrote about resolving the agonies of indecision.

606: timeless, movable and constantly evolving.