Jonathan Ive
Jonathan Ive serves as the Senior Vice
President of Design at Apple Inc. Ive, with the help of his design team, is responsible
for the exceedingly popular products we use today. His iconic designs range
from the iMac computer to the beloved iPhone.
Ive has influenced many industrial designers over the years and is
recognized as one of the best designers in the world.
Ive was born in Chingford, London in
1967. As a boy, he became curious as to how things worked. In the book Jony Ive: The Genius Behind
Apple’s Greatest Products, Ive says “As a kid, I remember taking apart whatever
I could get my hands on. Later, this developed into more of an interest in how
they were made, how they worked, their form and material” (Kahney). Ive
eventually studied industrial design at Newcastle Polytechnic where he
developed his skills and his unique style. His career began after college when
he co-founded a design company called Tangerine. This design consultancy developed
many different products including power tools and televisions. In 1992, Apple
offered Ive a job in the United States where he would work closely with their
co-founder Steve Jobs. Their first project together was the creation of the
iMac computer that resulted in record-breaking sales and unprecedented
recognition. Since then, Ive has been the head of design for all of the
products Apple has to offer.
Jonathan Ive has been recognized with a
vast amount of design awards over the course of his career with Apple. In 2003,
he was named Designer of the Year by Design Museum London. In 2007, he received
a National Design Award in the product design category for his work with the
iPhone. His Apple designs are also permanently displayed in collections of
museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern art in New York as
well as Pompidou in Paris.
One of the most recognizable aspects of
his designs is the shear simplicity of his products. Ive approaches design with
a minimalist attitude. The result is a sleek product that appeals to
millions. Apples four main products, the
iPhone, iMac, iPod and iPad, all incorporate the same uncomplicated,
straightforward forms that at the same time are remarkably well made. Ive pays a
great deal of attention to every little aspect of his work. When asked what it
is that distinguishes the products he designs, Ive replies “Perhaps the
decisive factor is fanatical care beyond the obvious stuff: the obsessive
attention to details that are often overlooked” (Richmond). It will be interesting to see what lies ahead
for this innovative designer as he continues his revolutionary work with Apple.
He has inspired many and will continue to do so in the future.
