To think with. Said of a colleague who anticipates what is needed, and said of a product that does the same. Das Gerät denkt mit. The same verb praises a person and a machine, and it is the highest praise either receives.
Advantage through technology
Vorsprung durch Technik — advantage through technology — has been in use as a German advertising line since the 1970s and passed into English untranslated. The claim is that the lead comes from the engineering, not from the marketing.
The socket
The German Schuko socket earths through side contacts that engage before the pins make electrical contact, and it is recessed so that fingers cannot reach a live pin. The safety is in the geometry, working before the user has done anything.
The workshop manual
Das Werkstattbuch. German manufacturers publish workshop manuals with exploded diagrams, torque values and part numbers, often for decades after production ends. The design anticipates its own repair, and documents how.
The kitchen machine
Die Küchenmaschine. German kitchen appliances are built with attachments that share a single drive unit, sold separately and added over years. The machine anticipates uses the buyer has not thought of yet.
Hand tools
German hand tools are designed around the hand: balance point, grip diameter, the angle at which the tool sits when set down. The object anticipates how it will be held, not only what it will do.
Ergonomics
German workplace regulation specifies ergonomic requirements for seating, screens, lighting and reach, enforced through occupational safety law and inspected. The body is treated as a design constraint with numbers attached.
The manual
Die Bedienungsanleitung. German manuals are thorough to a degree that is often mocked abroad, and the thoroughness is a legal requirement — intended use, foreseeable misuse, safety, maintenance, disposal. The product is assumed to be used by someone who wants to understand it.
Products thinking with
Mitdenken – thinking with – meaning thoughtful, deliberate, reasoned action taking into consideration possible advantages and disadvantages, is clearly a German character trait. It should not be a surprise that there are How-to books advising managers on how to think with.
Along with people in Germany who think with there are also products in Germany which think with, developed to make life easier, safer and more comfortable.
They are often referred to in English as smart. Smart packaging which inform consumers about the product. Smart materials in eyeglasse which dim when sunlight is too bright. Smart wind turbines which turn automatically to the wind in order optimize electricity gain.
Smart automobiles whose steering wheel notices if the driver is falling asleep and sets off an alarm. Such cars also have smart headlights which adjust to oncoming traffic and read speed limit signs and inform the driver.
Oil change made easy
Hattinger Stahlbus GmbH has patented their oil drain, which makes draining automobile oil much easier. Their motto is: “The intelligent way to change you oil!” And it works like this:
“The stahlbus®-oil drain valve takes the place of the conventional drain plug. For the oil change, you unscrew the safety cap and attach the quick connect with the drain tube. Once this is connected the valve opens and the oil starts flowing into the catch. After disconnecting the drain tube, the valve closes automatically and you only need to install the safety cap.”
An intelligent solution to avoid spills and dirty hands. Made in Germany.