Dieter Rams' functionalist design of the "Snow White Coffin"-the SK4 radio- record player designed in 1956 with Hans Gugelot-served as a pioneering example of minimalist, clear, and user-friendly industrial design. This design featured a white metal housing with a removable transparent acrylic glass cover that revealed the device's inner mechanisms, breaking from traditional wooden casings and emphasizing simplicity and functionality. Initially ridiculed, it soon became a classic and a hallmark of the Functionalist school of industrial design, characterized by straight lines, angular shapes, and a clear, unobtrusive appearance

. This design approach inspired a type of industrial design focused on minimalism, clarity, and usability, influencing many later products. Most notably, it provided a foundational aesthetic and philosophy for modern consumer electronics design, including the iconic products of Apple such as the iPod and iPhone. Apple's design ethos, led by Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive, openly acknowledges the influence of Rams' minimalist and functional design principles, which emphasize making products understandable and fit for their intended use without unnecessary gimmicks

. In summary, the "Snow White Coffin" inspired the development of minimalist, user-centered industrial design in consumer electronics, exemplified by the Functionalist design movement and later reflected in the clean, simple, and functional aesthetics of contemporary technology products like those from Apple