Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dedicated “hour after hour” to the minutiae of product design at Apple, driven by a belief of “God being in the details,” according to his biographer Walter Isaacson.
Caleb Naysmith for Benzinga:
This philosophy was evident in Jobs’s hands-on involvement in creating iconic Apple products. Isaacson noted how Jobs’s obsession with design extended to every aspect of a product, even those components that consumers would never see. This approach wasn’t just about aesthetics; for Jobs, the care put into the unseen parts of a product was a testament to the integrity and quality of the entire creation.
During an interview posted on YouTube, Isaacson highlighted Jobs’s sessions in Apple’s design studio, where he would scrutinize everything from the curvature of a computer’s casing to the layout of internal components.
Jobs believed that true excellence in product design required a relentless pursuit of perfection, down to the smallest detail. This could mean countless revisions and discussions, often pushing his team to their limits but also driving them to innovate in ways they never thought possible.
Jobs’s detailed-oriented methodology set a new standard in the tech industry, emphasizing the importance of design in product development. His legacy, detailed by Isaacson, shows a leader who demanded the best and deeply understood the elements that would appeal to users, both aesthetically and functionally.
This detail-oriented approach to products helped make Apple into the powerhouse it is today. In its early days, Apple was dedicated to innovation, with the near-flawless design of the iPhone and iPad going largely unchanged since their inception over a decade ago.
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MacDailyNews Take: Those were the days.
Steve Jobs:
• “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.”
• “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
• “Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.”
• “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
• “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
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MDN’s take is awesome. I loved seeing Steve being normal in Palo Alto.
I saw him getting into his car outside of the Gelato Classico on Emerson St. once. He was already in declining health so I didn’t want to bother him.
,,,and, back in 1982 he’d come in nightly to pick up his to-go dinners from the Good Earth restaurant right on that corner of University Ave and Emerson. Black Mercedes with little antenna pop-ups on the rear corners so he could see where his fenders ended, and avoid bumping a car behind his parking spot. He was young and vibrant at that point (mid-to late 20s) and treated staff and diners very politely.
Exactly why Tim Cook was the wrong guy for the job. Innovation and attention to every detail, especially on the software side has gone to hell. Now it’s just bloatware with useless functionality. Worse, after every software update a lot of this insipid functionality is loaded in as a default. I started using Apple in 2005. The difference between it and Windows was amazing. it was simple, CUSTOMIZABLE TO MY UX and not bloated with useless functionality. Apple understood that 90% of users, use about 10% of functionality. 10% of users use the other 90%. They used to build to the 90% of us. Now they tell you what to do and the customization is really gone. Every new version is a mess. A ton of us long for the old days of simplicity and having my Apple be my computer … not the manufacturers. So sorry to see Steve go.
I’ve actually decided that Apple’s computers , specifically the iMacs lack the size that I need i.e. a 27 inch iMac and what Apple just don’t give value for money. Not only that but we now have 4.5k computers that for me is not a replacement for 5k versions.
My only alternative is a 2020 refurbished iMac Pro. And when Steve Jobs was alive I had so much choice. Now I have no choice.As for iPhones they are so overpriced I just don’t bother and will keep using my iPhone 6s Plus.
Apple sure has changed since Job was alive and that change puts investors ahead of users. And that is the problem. Get rid of the CEO and his supporters on the Board.
Butt look at the great design of the new dildo and toilet plunger emojis!
Man, is that refreshing thinking. Apple related, but broadly/in general of great value and seemingly scarce.
I will always retain the image of Jobs mandating a consistent color coordination of the internal iMac wiring. I seem to remember that, with some prodding from others, he relented because of unnecessary time/cost…but it represents well “his maxim” that design isn’t just the appearance/skin.
Obsessive? Yes, but often demanding (expecting) excellence requires attn that can seem “nutty.”
I don’t really think there’s anyone “dedicated “hour after hour” to the minutiae of product design at Apple”, but clearly there are a lot of minutes with distractions.
This is exactly what is missing at Apple today. This is what all the Tim Cook defenders on the site don’t get or understand.
He thought He was god, and so did his cult.
The genius of Steve Jobs remains obvious even today. Jobs created the Apple that continues to make great products and lots of money. But today’s Apple does not generate much excitement for me personally. I don’t wait in anticipation of new products. Products leaks happen all the time, and there are no surprises at events. I think Apple employees were more afraid of being caught under Jobs.
The Japanese principles of craftsmanship and his respect for their heritage of excellence was really his mandate to himself and his own “craft.”