Jony Ive is one of the most important people of the Apple company, he is responsible for designing the products of the Cupertino company. In an interview given to a newspaper from London, Ive reveals some of the key points of success that Apple products have at the moment around the world. He claims that Apple makes products that are better than those available on the market and the design starts from the idea of making something better and if this is not possible then the project is abandoned.
Ive claims that all of Apple's competitors are looking at things the wrong way because they are trying to bring new products to the market when in reality they should be bringing better products. Maybe for some Ive's philosophy seems wrong, but for 5 years now it has proven to be extremely beneficial for Apple and consumers, so I for one hope that in the future a few things will change in his thinking and more will change in the way which shows Apple products. You can read more in the interview given to the British newspaper.
Q: What makes design different at Apple?
A: We struggle with the right words to describe the design process at Apple, but it is very much about designing and prototyping and making. When you separate those, I think the final result suffers. If something is going to be better, it is new, and if it's new you are confronting problems and challenges you don't have references for. To solve and address those requires a remarkable focus. There's a sense of being inquisitive and optimistic, and you don't see those in combination very often.
Q: How does a new product come about at Apple?
A: What I love about the creative process, and this may sound naive, is this idea that one day there is no idea, and no solution, but then the next day there is an idea. Where you see the most dramatic shift is when you transition from an abstract idea to a slightly more material conversation. But when you make a 3D model, however crude, you bring form to a nebulous idea and everything changes — the entire process shifts. It galvanizes and brings focus from a broad group of people. It's a remarkable process.
Q: What are your goals when setting out to build a new product?
A: Our goals are very simple — to design and make better products. If we can't make something that is better, we won't do it.
Q: Why has Apple's competition struggled to do that?
A: Most of our competitors are interested in doing something different, or want to appear new — I think those are completely the wrong goals. A product has to be genuinely better. This requires real discipline, and that's what drives us — a sincere, genuine appetite to do something that is better.
