“When Steven P. Jobs led Apple, he created a core principle for the company’s designers and engineers: stay fully focused on making great products,” Brian X. Chen and Matt Richtel report for The New York Times.
“That philosophy continues to guide Apple, even under its new chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, says Jonathan Ive, the company’s head of design,” Chen and Richtel report. “Mr. Ive, who rarely speaks publicly, said in an recent interview for an article about Apple under Mr. Cook that the company’s design processes remained unchanged, vibrant and healthy.”
A few snippets from Ive:
Often when I talk about what I do, making isn’t just this inevitable function tacked on at the end. The way we make our products is certainly equally as demanding and requires so much definition. I design and make. I can’t separate those two.
This is part of Steve’s legacy. Deep in the culture of Apple is this sense and understanding of design, developing and making. Form and the material and process – they are beautifully intertwined – completely connected. Unless we understand a certain material — metal or resin and plastic — understanding the processes that turn it from ore, for example – we can never develop and define form that’s appropriate.
—
[Tim Cook and I] meet on average three times a week. Sometimes those meetings are over in his space, sometimes here in the design studio. We all see the same physical object. Something happens between what we objectively see and what we perceive it to be. That’s the definition of a designer – trying to somehow articulate what contributes to the way we see the object.
Heading on for two decades working with Tim, one of the things I have always admired is the quiet consideration he gives to trying to understand how he perceives something. He will take the time. I think that testifies to the fact that he knows it’s important.
Read more in the full interview here.
Tim Rocks.
In a huge way ! Is the man!
Yup, Mr. Cook and Jony rock.
They’ve got my vote of confidence. I’ve seen nothing yet to counter that vote. But then I’m not nearly as impatient or disingenuous as some of the Tim hating trolls known to post here. WWDC proves in a huge way Apple’s always had its mojo and the hardware follow up this fall will be Part 2 of the 2014 salvo that will slap the unbelievers upside the head.
Not only your vote (and mine)… They had Steve Jobs’ vote; HE picked THEM to lead Apple. Confidence AND trust.
I believe that a growing number of people are finally starting to appreciate Tim Cook for who he is and what he can do rather than condemning him for failing to channel Steve Jobs. This transition has been far smoother than anyone had a right to expect given the circumstances.
By the way, even though I respect Tim Cook, I still believe that the Apple BoD gave him far too much in terms of deferred compensation when they elevated him to CEO. Perhaps he will prove me wrong.
Cook and Ive both need to go, they are rotting Apple to the core. The sooner the board cans both of them, the sooner real innovation can resume at Apple.
Ass, meet hole in the ground. See the difference yet?
How about now?
He can’t tell the difference.
Ok joe, I’ll bite: and replace them with who, exactly? Just getting rid of people is only HALF an answer…
Balmer is available…
Joe is half right. I like Ive but he’s no where near his creative genius height when having to play to Cook’s authority. When Tim no longer heads up the once great company, Ive will again be set free and may then we get some “really great products” out of the mythical pipeline that Cook keeps talking about without knowing what the hell he is saying.
Jony Ive needs to be reined in. After coming up with that bit of silliness called the new Mac Pro, and uglifying iOS and OS X, the man is hemorrhaging credibility.
Lock him in his office with a couple pencils and don’t let him out until he promises to start taking his medication again.
The level of idiocy on this site is mind blowing.
100%
I know what you mean. every time I read the comments section at MDN it hits me like a hammer. idiots. and yet, I cannot stop myself—it maddens me and I still come back almost daily.
I have a problem.
It’s addictive like the real housewives of wherever…a reality show with incompetent producers, heavy on scandal, narcissism and meandering debate. Not unlike my extended family, now I think of it…
Jay and Joe would make great politicians. All they do is criticize but have no alternatives. Would either of you please tell me WHO should be the CEO of Apple and why!
Whoever decided on the yearly OS X upgrade schedule is a freaking moron! Releasing an OS upgrade should be done when it’s ready, not on a schedule, which is why 10.9 has felt like a beta since it’s release.
And keep Jony Ive the hell away from software! He may be a hardware design genius, but he turned iOS 7 into the ugliest mobile OS in existence and is now defacing OS X.
Jobs is spinning in his grave!
I agree on the almost yearly OSX release schedule is just ridiculous for three main reasons.
1) I don’t want to learn a new OS every year. If I was back in college barely getting by with a lot of idle time would see it differently.
2) Do I really need new features to get work done? Everything has already been done for my needs.
3) Will the new release make my purchased software obsolete? This is of concern when you have dozens of programs costing thousands of dollars.
I too have been saying the same regarding DIFFERENT DESIGN DISCIPLINES — industrial and graphic (navigation) design.
Jony is the industry master at one of them. And a master failure at the other.
No one has ever done it well. But I give him credit for trying. What I wish he would do is offer choice of skins.
Would gladly fork over bucks for the Steve Classic iOS design. Another revenue stream for Apple … 🙂
NOBODY, i mean NOBODY is holding a gun to your head, or even twisting your arm to get you to upgrade, so just don’t push the button… got it? and while you are at it, STFU
then you can have your old fashioned OS with all it’s glory and limitations…. without sounding like an ignorant, arrogant, broken record to those of us who are happy with what we have
I, for one, did my research, and found the advantages of upgrading far outweighed the minor inconveniences of learning to see a different icon for apps than the ones i was familiar with
If you are so stuck in your ways that can’t stand to see different icons than ones you have grown attached to, then just DON’T CLICK THE UPGRADE BUTTON!!!!!, simple as that
Geez, what a bunch of whiners !!!
You are right.
No one has held a gun to my head to upgrade to the most hideous OS redesign ever foisted on hapless eyes.
And guess what, I am still enjoying the best OS design in the history of mobile computing.
Thank you, Steve.
Shame on you clueless Cook and put Jony where he belongs.