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May 20, 2008

people

Ive alive: insights into Apple’s design from the master

Posted May. 20, ’08, 11:40 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » People

Jonathan IveIf I had my way, this site would ditch its “MacUser” moniker in favor of a truer representation of our real interests. Instead, we’d call it something deeply profound, like: “The Jony Ive Fansite.” Such is the depths of our love for Apple’s senior vice president of industrial design.

While Ive may be well known for his prowess in design, he’s also notable for his retiring nature: he doesn’t give many interviews or do public appearance like many of Apple’s other executives. But that belies the sheer importance of his role at Apple—behind Steve Jobs himself, there is arguably no one person more significant at the company.

So we point you towards a rare interview with Ive over at The Independent in the wake of his double Black Pencil win at the D&AD awards.

Despite the ubiquity of his designs, Ive insists that he doesn’t get an ego rush from seeing so many of us using his products. “I’m not driven by making a cultural impact,” he says. “That’s just a consequence of taking a remarkably powerful technology and making it relevant.

“My goal is simply to try to make products that really are meaningful to people. Ultimately there is something motivating and inspiring in seeing someone using an Apple product and enjoying an Apple product.”

Ive also acknowledges the importance of Apple designing the whole product, from hardware to software, and talks a little bit about his creative process. There may not be a lot of nitty-gritty details here, but it’s still an interesting insight into Mr. Ive. Now if only he’d send us that autographed headshot we asked him for.


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