“Designer Marc Newson is joining Apple as part of senior vice president of design Jonathan Ive’s team, the company told VF Daily on Friday,” Kia Makarechi reports for Vanity Fair.
“Newson, who will continue to be based in the United Kingdom, will be an employee of Apple, and will be frequently traveling to the company’s Cupertino, California, headquarters,” Makarechi reports. “The industrial designer has had his work archived by MoMA, and has been commissioned by Ford, Nike, and Qantas Airways, among others.”
Apple’s Marc Newson (left) and Jony Ive“Ive and Newson, who have been close friends for years, have been spending time together over the past year. During that time, they have also worked on some designs for Apple,” Makarechi reports. “‘Marc is without question one of the most influential designers of this generation,’ Ive said in a statement provided to VF Daily. ‘He is extraordinarily talented. We are particularly excited to formalize our collaboration as we enjoy working together so much and have found our partnership so effective.'”
MacDailyNews Take: This sort of has the feel of inevitability about it, but it is, nonetheless, quite the bold coup! Now Apple has two of this era’s most accomplished designers working together. The sky’s the limit!
Jaeger-LeCoultre Atmos 561 clock by Marc NewsonBack in 2012, Chip Brown reported for The New York Times, “When Newson, 48, was a child and first began to exhibit the obsessive tendencies that characterize most great designers, he was entranced by the space-age utopia of the Jetsons, the early-1960s television cartoon about a family who zipped around in personal aerocars. Modernism and the idea of the future were synonymous with the romance of space travel and the exotic materials and processes of space technology. Newson’s streamlined aesthetic was influenced by his Jetsonian vision of the future, a future that didn’t pan out and left him, years later, conceding ruefully that ‘the future isn’t futuristic anymore.'”
The Zvezdochka, designed for Nike by Marc Newson“Newson’s career as arguably the most influential industrial designer of his generation and the leading exponent of the so-called design-art movement may stand as much on the quasi-moral power of design to affirm the social virtues of wit, proportion, elegance and simplicity, as on his obsession with futuristic forms and modernist aesthetics. Not that he has any overt agenda as a design evangelist. His motivation, apart from the business of it all, is the spirit of personal discovery, not civic edification. Each project is a fresh encounter with the material world,” Brown reported. “As a practical matter it’s easier to list what Marc Newson hasn’t designed than what he has.”
Lockheed Lounge by Marc Newson“Newson’s lifeline on the road when he’s traveling two weeks per month is an iPhone 4S. What gratifies him about the success of Apple products, beyond the fact that the Apple design chief, Jonathan Ive, is one of his best friends, is that it has vindicated the value of design,” Brown reported. “‘I think Marc is fairly peerless now,’ said Jonathan Ive, who met Newson 15 years ago in Japan. ‘Marc’s forms are often imitated, but what other designers seldom imitate is his preoccupation with materials and processes. You have to start with an understanding of the material. Often your innovation is just coming up with a new way to use material.'”
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “David G.,” “Dan K.,” and “Chris Renaldi” for the heads up.]
Futuristic style is in the past. Like any trend it came and went as an expectation of what the future would be and space age materials used but ignoring what traditionally makes humans more comfortable to live in. Hence most of us don’t live in Geodesic Domes. (But some will be working in a spaceship in Cupertino soon.) But it was a fun flight of fancy while it lasted.
There will always be futuristic design it simply adapts to new perspectives, you can’t treat as a one dimensional style, indeed it never has been, it’s an attitude more than any given style. Art Deco came and went within a relatively short period in the thirties yet it has barely sen a decade since when it has not come back in a new form or influence on design style and in so doing it looks incredibly modern and always surprises by how it fits in with new materials and new approaches and even when it is used in a more traditional way it still manages to please and excite. Some things are universal in the influence and pleasure they can bring those that don’t like brutalist simply fall by the wayside.
Maybe if you had any idea about design, industrial or otherwise, you might then be in a position to make a valid contribution to this discussion.
From your comments, Mr Blood71, it appears you don’t have a clue.
That’s pretty hilarious coming from someone contributing nothing/zip/nada to this discussion. Obviously I was referring to 50’s and 60’s idea of future style ala Jetsons and other future influenced movies and TV shows of the day. The perception of predicted future styles evolves much as present day styles change as someone else pointed out here.
I’ve worked in visual effects for film and television since 1976 alongside numerous art directors and production designers including friends of mine who’ve won Oscars in that category for films like AVATAR and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Many post Star Trek TOS TV show makeup and visual effects designers are friends of mine. Plus many other famous makeup artists are also friends of mine and so the art of design is hardly unknown to me. It’s something I’ve worked with for over 35 years as a Visual Effects Supervisor & DP.
Besides being a clueless know-nothing fsck/troll trying to stir up trouble, what are your qualifications other than as just another loner video gamer? BTW I expect a completely predictable juvenile response attempting to belittle and failing miserably.
Not another Englishman though: Newson was born in Sydney, Australia, where in 1984 he graduated at the Sydney College of the Arts… He is currently adjunct professor in design at Sydney College of the Arts (where he first studied sculpture and jewellery) and is the creative director for Qantas.
even if Newson isn’t always there as he is keeping his other businesses going he can look in once in a while and give Ive his input. He’s probably one of the few artistic types Ive would listen to as an equal . Maybe if if Newson had seen the ‘hockey puck’ mouse he would have said “Er mate, maybe you’ll like to rethink this… ”
Newson with his wide experience will be infinitely useful , imagine him helping out with designing even Apple stores, Beats headphones….
(personally I like Ive being happy. Some years ago there were rumours he wanted to move back to England — which is 10 times worse than anything Samsung could ever do to Apple — so if he wants a pal to visit him and hang out fine) .
Apple under Jobs was the first big tech company to give so much respect to designers. Years ago I read how senior managers from other companies coming to Apple to do business were astonished that Ive was sitting in with Apple’s top brass and how they deferred to him.
“Apple was a very bottom-up company when it came to a lot of its great ideas. We hired truly great people and gave them the room to do great work. A lot of companies — I know it sounds crazy — but a lot of companies don’t do that. They hire people to tell them what to do. We hire people to tell us what to do. We figure we’re paying them all this money; their job is to figure out what to do and tell us. That led to a very different corporate culture, and one that’s really much more collegial than hierarchical.”
The iPhone 5C covers look a lot like the Zvezdochka, designed for Nike by Marc Newson… I don’t like the shoes nor the covers, personally.
“Many of Newson’s ideas are drawn from nature, including his Nike shoe (2004), which was named Zvezdochka for the Russian space dog and inspired by the organic structure of microscopic water creatures called radiolarians. “To say nature is perfect from the point of view of design couldn’t be more of an understatement,” Newson says.”
That he’ll be working on iWatch seems the obvious conclusion, but that then implies that it’s further away than being announced next week. Maybe he’ll also be doing stuff for their campus, stores, etc? Although I’m sure he’ll give input on things across the board.
Marc Newson has been collaborating with Apple before this announcement, as can be seen by comparing the iPhone 5C and it’s covers with the Zvezdochka Nike shoe. An announcement for “iWatch” is very possible for next week.
My only concern is that this is a succession plan for the lead designer. If it’s just thinking way ahead and a way to hedge bets, that’s fine. I just hope Jony isn’t heading out in 12-18 months.
BOOOOOOOM !
When changing jobs, my mentor advised me to ask myself, “Are you running from something or towards something?”
Solid hire, and what he and Ive can do together, well the sky’s the limit.
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/01/29/magazine/29newson_ss.html
Futuristic style is in the past. Like any trend it came and went as an expectation of what the future would be and space age materials used but ignoring what traditionally makes humans more comfortable to live in. Hence most of us don’t live in Geodesic Domes. (But some will be working in a spaceship in Cupertino soon.) But it was a fun flight of fancy while it lasted.
There will always be futuristic design it simply adapts to new perspectives, you can’t treat as a one dimensional style, indeed it never has been, it’s an attitude more than any given style. Art Deco came and went within a relatively short period in the thirties yet it has barely sen a decade since when it has not come back in a new form or influence on design style and in so doing it looks incredibly modern and always surprises by how it fits in with new materials and new approaches and even when it is used in a more traditional way it still manages to please and excite. Some things are universal in the influence and pleasure they can bring those that don’t like brutalist simply fall by the wayside.
Maybe if you had any idea about design, industrial or otherwise, you might then be in a position to make a valid contribution to this discussion.
From your comments, Mr Blood71, it appears you don’t have a clue.
That’s pretty hilarious coming from someone contributing nothing/zip/nada to this discussion. Obviously I was referring to 50’s and 60’s idea of future style ala Jetsons and other future influenced movies and TV shows of the day. The perception of predicted future styles evolves much as present day styles change as someone else pointed out here.
I’ve worked in visual effects for film and television since 1976 alongside numerous art directors and production designers including friends of mine who’ve won Oscars in that category for films like AVATAR and ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Many post Star Trek TOS TV show makeup and visual effects designers are friends of mine. Plus many other famous makeup artists are also friends of mine and so the art of design is hardly unknown to me. It’s something I’ve worked with for over 35 years as a Visual Effects Supervisor & DP.
Besides being a clueless know-nothing fsck/troll trying to stir up trouble, what are your qualifications other than as just another loner video gamer? BTW I expect a completely predictable juvenile response attempting to belittle and failing miserably.
“This sort of has the feel of inevitability about it,…”
How so?
Ive and Newson are friends. Worked together on multiple projects over time. Ive may have felt “alone” without Jobs. See related articles.
Not another Englishman though: Newson was born in Sydney, Australia, where in 1984 he graduated at the Sydney College of the Arts… He is currently adjunct professor in design at Sydney College of the Arts (where he first studied sculpture and jewellery) and is the creative director for Qantas.
English industrial design is the best in the world – period.
And as a designer with a lifetimes experience in solving problems with original ideas I totally endorse this fact :)))
I wonder if Apple will produce his jet pack or space plane. Fun times.
The best design team in the world is now the best ever.
This is GREAT news.
even if Newson isn’t always there as he is keeping his other businesses going he can look in once in a while and give Ive his input. He’s probably one of the few artistic types Ive would listen to as an equal . Maybe if if Newson had seen the ‘hockey puck’ mouse he would have said “Er mate, maybe you’ll like to rethink this… ”
Newson with his wide experience will be infinitely useful , imagine him helping out with designing even Apple stores, Beats headphones….
(personally I like Ive being happy. Some years ago there were rumours he wanted to move back to England — which is 10 times worse than anything Samsung could ever do to Apple — so if he wants a pal to visit him and hang out fine) .
Apple under Jobs was the first big tech company to give so much respect to designers. Years ago I read how senior managers from other companies coming to Apple to do business were astonished that Ive was sitting in with Apple’s top brass and how they deferred to him.
Apple where ‘Art and Technology Meet’.
Steve Jobs on hiring people:
“Apple was a very bottom-up company when it came to a lot of its great ideas. We hired truly great people and gave them the room to do great work. A lot of companies — I know it sounds crazy — but a lot of companies don’t do that. They hire people to tell them what to do. We hire people to tell us what to do. We figure we’re paying them all this money; their job is to figure out what to do and tell us. That led to a very different corporate culture, and one that’s really much more collegial than hierarchical.”
Jobs in Terry Gross interview 1996
you can listen to it here (lots of Job’s philosophies, seer like view of the web in the future “We will download software off the web” etc ) :
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/06/141115121/steve-jobs-computer-science-is-a-liberal-art
The iPhone 5C covers look a lot like the Zvezdochka, designed for Nike by Marc Newson… I don’t like the shoes nor the covers, personally.
“Many of Newson’s ideas are drawn from nature, including his Nike shoe (2004), which was named Zvezdochka for the Russian space dog and inspired by the organic structure of microscopic water creatures called radiolarians. “To say nature is perfect from the point of view of design couldn’t be more of an understatement,” Newson says.”
eh… not in this case.
On the flipside, I love some of the watches Marc has designed:
They are Groot!
That he’ll be working on iWatch seems the obvious conclusion, but that then implies that it’s further away than being announced next week. Maybe he’ll also be doing stuff for their campus, stores, etc? Although I’m sure he’ll give input on things across the board.
Marc Newson has been collaborating with Apple before this announcement, as can be seen by comparing the iPhone 5C and it’s covers with the Zvezdochka Nike shoe. An announcement for “iWatch” is very possible for next week.
My only concern is that this is a succession plan for the lead designer. If it’s just thinking way ahead and a way to hedge bets, that’s fine. I just hope Jony isn’t heading out in 12-18 months.
Don’t think that will happen.
Jony is paid millions and has the resources of the worlds richest and most successful tech company at his disposal.
He would be an idiot to throw all that away.
I think Marc worked on the ” iWatch ” and this is an after the fact announcement .
Finally! Flying iCars!
Please don’t design the fonts any thinner I can barely read them now!
Is Jony flipping us the bird in that pic?
(If so, I’m sure it’s by design.)
Certainly great news of the dynamic duo of industrial design!
Unfortunately, graphic design (GUI) will not advance beyond the flat, lifeless, crayon lines of the most hideous design in Apple history.
If Steve was still around, he would not tolerate Ive’s diddly design for a nanosecond.
Apple industrial design: A+
Apple GUI design: F-
Sorry, it is what it is Apple fanboys …
Things just got real. Two of the top industrial designers in the world working for the same company? Incredible!
I cannot wait to see what they have been collaborating on over the past few months…