Despite the popularity of Apple’s iconic
designs, the creative genius behind them remains relatively unknown. I’d like to ask Jony Ive, our SVP of design,
to come up and take us through that. Without Jony Ive, Apple wouldn’t be Apple. Good morning. He created products that are not only functional
but emotional. He made people feel something when they held
an iPhone in their hand. Design was in his blood. His father was a silversmith and teacher who
helped craft a new design curriculum for UK schools from which his son benefitted. Mike Ive constantly talked to his son about
design. Leander Kahney’s book on Jony Ive describes
how, when they walked down the street, Mike would point out the different types of streetlamps
to his son and how their shape affected how the light was cast. Design offered him an outlet for his creativity,
which is a common trait among people like him who have dyslexia. As his Christmas gift, his father would give
him full access to his workshop, where he could build anything his heart desired so
long as he sketched it first. Jony told Steve Job’s biographer Walter
Isaacson that, “I always understood the beauty of things made by hand. I came to realize that what was really important
was the care that was put into it.” By the age of 13, he knew he wanted to be
a designer but didn’t know what he wanted to design. When his work was showcased at a design conference,
the leading London design firm Roberts Weaver Group was so impressed that it agreed to support
him through university if Jony promised to join the company upon graduation. Jony studied in the north of England at Newcastle
Polytechnic, now known as Northumbria University. The Bauhaus design philosophy that emerged
in Germany in the early 20th century had made its way into British design schools. Bauhaus emphasized minimalism: including only
what is needed into designs. Objects had clean lines, simple forms, and
were pleasing to the eye. That design philosophy heavily influenced
Jony, who brought the Bauhaus aesthetic to Apple. While at university, Jony interned with the
design firm that was supporting him. When he had to design a pen for a Japanese
client, he noticed that people liked to “fiddle” around with their pens. So he added a ball-and-clip mechanism to the
top of the pen that served no purpose other than to give someone something to do. This humanized the technology. People didn’t want to just write with the
pen – they wanted to touch it and play around with it. Much like how they “play” with their Apple
products today. Jony worked hard as an undergraduate student. When a friend visited his apartment, he found
more than a hundred prototypes for a landline telephone. Creating numerous prototypes became his signature
at Apple. Even if the changes were small, he felt they
were important to physically see. Although he designed tech products, he didn’t
consider himself a “tech” guy. Growing up, the only computer that spoke to
him…was Apple’s Mac. He thought it was a lot easier to use than
any other computer. And he believed the designers actually cared
about the product and how consumers felt when they used it. It was a really profound moment, I don’t
think I’ve actually had quite the same sense of “wow” with a product before. He told the Design Museum in London: “The
more I learnt about this cheeky, almost rebellious company the more it appealed to me…” The bursaries he received for his stellar
work as a student gave him the chance to travel to Silicon Valley, where he visited the studio
of a star designer. Robert Brunner was impressed by Jony’s phone
concept. Unlike other student projects, it wasn’t
simply a mockup but included the internal components. Brunner asked him to consider joining his
design firm upon graduation, but Jony had already promised to return to London to work
for Roberts Weaver Group, which had been financing his education. A few months later, Brunner helped Apple establish
its own in-house design studio. Up until then, Apple had contracted its design
work out to a German firm. After his big trip to America, Jony submitted
a report to the group that awarded him the travel bursary, writing: “I immediately
fell in love with San Francisco and desperately hope that I can return there sometime in the
future.” Back in the UK, he spent a year and a half
with Roberts Weaver Group, before he left to join the design startup Tangerine co-founded
by his friend, a former designer at Roberts Weaver. At Tangerine, the four-person team designed
everything for clients, from TVs to toilets. Jony designed a minimalistic comb for a Scottish
hairdresser that went on to win a prestigious prize. But sometimes, he found it frustrating working
with clients who had a different vision than him. For example, a major bathroom company was
unhappy with Jony’s toilet designs named Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello. They were named after the teenage mutant ninja
turtles. The company claimed they were too modern and
too expensive to produce. The designs that he put his heart and soul
into were literally flushed down the toilet. So when the California designer who had been
impressed by his telephone prototype came knocking again, Jony couldn’t resist. Brunner was the head of industrial design
at Apple. John Sculley was the CEO of Apple at the time. Steve Jobs had been forced out of the company
he co-founded and was trying to make his new software company NeXT succeed while keeping
his other company Pixar afloat. When Brunner hired Tangerine to work on some
potential future products for Apple, the team speculated it was just a ploy to try to lure
Jony to California. California was a long way from London. Jony also wasn’t sure his wife would want
to move so far from home. But there were too many reasons to say yes. Apple would allow him to focus on his craft
rather than the business side of a startup. He could see a design through from start to
finish. Plus, he had fallen in love with the Mac. So, he packed his bags for the Golden State. Jony’s first big assignment at Apple was
the second-generation MessagePad, a personal digital assistant that laid the foundation
for the iPhone. He designed it to flip open from the top rather
than from the side because then it wasn’t culturally specific as people in North America
and Europe would want it to open from left to right, whereas people in Japan, for example,
would want it to open from right to left. He was always attuned to the needs of the
consumer. He won several awards for the MessagePad though
he wasn’t really interested in accolades. He was humble and focused on his work. Unfortunately, Jony’s stellar design wasn’t
enough. The MessagePad bombed due to battery issues
and poor handwriting recognition - which the Simpsons made fun of. It was a lesson learned, and, in the future,
Jony made sure he could influence the engineering process as well. Jony quickly emerged as Brunner’s second
in command. Brunner wanted his design team to come up
with concepts that would excite people the way they’d get excited over a new piece
of furniture. At that time, in the early nineties, computers
were becoming increasingly popular in peoples’ homes. But they were big and boxy. Jony refined the design of the desktop Mac
into a slim, flat-screen computer. The first two units of the Twentieth Anniversary
Mac were given to Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1997. Jobs was brought in as an advisor when Apple
bought his company NeXT. But the new Mac failed as well. It was very pricey at $9,000. Other computers were selling for less than
half that price. Brunner felt burnt out and quit. So, Jony Ive became the new head of industrial
design at just 29 years old. But he had his frustrations, too. He felt Apple’s then-CEO, Gilbert Amelio
had no desire to innovate. His immediate boss promised him things would
soon be different. Amelio was quickly forced out as CEO. And Steve Jobs was back at the helm. It had been 12 years since Jobs was ousted
from Apple. When he returned, he held a meeting of top
executives. Ive recalls: “I remember very clearly Steve
announcing that our goal is not just to make money but to make great products.” Jobs wanted Apple to focus on creating first-class
products that people would be willing to pay a premium for, much like the way people are
willing to pay more for a Mercedes than a Chevy. Jobs had a vision of what he wanted Apple
products to be. He told the New York Times: 'Most people make the mistake of thinking
design is what it looks like. 'People think it's this veneer -- that the
designers are handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels
like. Design is how it works.'' He entrusted him to execute his vision of
building beautiful and functional products. Jobs told Isaacson that Ive “has more operational
power than anyone else at Apple except me.” The first order of business was to create
a new desktop. Apple had many products, but no stand-out
product. The company was close to bankruptcy due to
declining sales as it faced competition from PCs with Microsoft’s new operating system,
Windows. Engineers had played a leading role in the
design process up until then. They determined the size of the device, and
then the design team had to design an enclosure that fit. But when Jobs returned as CEO, the design
team started calling more of the shots. Ive constantly butted heads with Jon Rubinstein,
Apple's head of engineering, who was actually his supervisor. Engineers weren’t happy that they were now
forced to fit hardware into a design. While thinking about the new computer, a member
of the design team suggested it should be translucent. This was a complete contrast to the dark,
grey look of computers back then. Ive loved the idea. “A lot of people at that point in time were
nervous around computers, around technology. So, our clear goal was how we can make the
product accessible and not intimidating.” Translucency made it less intimidating. Ive also added a handle to the computer. This was not for carrying but to build a bond
with the user, to make it seem more approachable. He explained to Isaacson: “If you’re scared
of something, then you won’t touch it. I could see my mum being scared to touch it. So I thought, if there’s this handle on
it, it makes a relationship possible.” The importance of a personal connection was
reflected in the name of the computer. The “i” in iMac stood for internet but
it also stood for individual. It was a make-or-break moment for Apple when
Jobs unveiled the iMac in May 1998. The whole thing is translucent; you can see
into it. It’s so cool! Despite his enthusiasm, the reviews were mixed. Journalists noted the lack of a floppy drive
which Jobs felt would date the machine. He wanted something that represented the future. A reporter with the Boston Globe predicted
that “The iMac will only sell to some of the true believers.” How wrong he was. People went CRAZY for the iMac. It went on sale for $1,299, and by the end
of 1998, the iMac became the fastest-selling desktop in history. The iMac had a huge impact on our culture
- suddenly, it seemed like everything in the late nineties and early 2000s was transparent! The iMac was constantly upgraded and also
released in multiple colors. It set a precedent for the iPod, which was
constantly improved and released in colorful designs. There it is right there Jobs saw an opportunity to create a portable
music device that relied on the latest digital technology rather than CDs. He wanted something small enough to fit in
your pocket and easy to use. A wheel was a clever way to navigate through
the menu. Interestingly, there was no on-off button. Any button could turn the device on, and it
turned off after a period of inactivity which spoke to its ease of use. The iPod was beautiful - besides the stainless
steel back that was easily scratchable. Ive decided that the first iPod should be
white to emphasize the simplicity and elegance of the device. This was a breakthrough moment because white
would become the staple color in Apple’s lineup and is synonymous with the brand. With Apple’s success, Jony was generously
rewarded and was able to enjoy himself in his downtime and splurge a little. He had an affinity for British luxury cars
which nearly killed him. While driving with another Apple designer
in the passenger seat, Ive lost control of his Aston Martin and struck a median. The car was completely totaled, but thankfully,
both men survived. And there was still a lot to accomplish. The wheel on the iPod may have been a clever
way to navigate through the menu. But what about something even more intuitive. When the engineering team produced a multi-touch
system as a demo, Ive knew it would be a game changer. He decided to show it to Jobs privately because
his boss had a tendency to flat-out reject ideas, and Ive didn’t want him to reject
this one so quickly, especially in front of the entire team. In this case, he had nothing to worry about. Jobs agreed touch was the future. The idea of a touch device led to the iPhone. As with all Apple products, the iPhone was
built in secret. Most of Apple’s employees were not allowed
in the design lab. He showed Jobs prototypes of top-secret designs
on wooden tables outside his office, which inspired the big open tables at Apple stores. The models were covered with a black cloth
when not in use. Ive believed nothing should detract from the
iPhone screen. He wanted it to look like an infinity pool
where the display seemed to extend endlessly with no visible edges or boundaries. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone. Apple released the iPhone in 2007. If I want to call Jony, I’ll I do is push
his mobile number, and I’m calling him right now. Hello Steve. Hey Jony, how are you doing? Well it’s 2.5 years and I can’t tell you
how thrilled I am to make the first public phone call with iPhone. The iPhone is widely regarded as one of the
most influential product designs of the 21st century. But there is one more thing Why not make the screen bigger and turn it
into another product? And we call it the iPad Although the iPad came out after the iPhone,
Jobs said the idea for a tablet came first. Apple once again established itself as the
standard-bearer for innovative products. By the time the iPad was released in 2010,
Jobs had already been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Despite multiple treatments and surgeries,
his health deteriorated. A year later, in August 2011, he stepped down
as CEO. When he was recovering from his first bout
of cancer, Jobs asked to see two people: his wife Laurene and Jony Ive, as recounted in
the book by Leander Kahney. Jobs referred to Ive as his “spiritual partner.” They had worked together for nearly 15 years
and had lunch together almost every day. One month after Jobs resigned from Apple,
he died on October 5, 2011. He was only 56 years old. He famously said during a Stanford commencement
address that “death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the
new”. Jobs' family held a private funeral that four
Apple executives attended, including new CEO Tim Cook, formerly Apple’s chief operating
officer, and Jony Ive. On the 10th anniversary of Jobs’ death,
Jony wrote a touching letter about his friend that was published in the Wall Street Journal. “I think about Steve every day.” He said he and Steve’s widow Laurene are
close. “When her brilliant and inquisitive children
ask me about their dad I just cannot help myself. I can talk happily for hours describing the
remarkable man I loved so deeply.” “I loved how he saw the world. The way he thought was profoundly beautiful.” “He truly believed that by making something
useful, empowering and beautiful, we express our love for humanity.” Some wondered if Ive might return to the UK
after Jobs’ death. In 2012, he was knighted and became Sir Jony
Ive. But Ive remained at Apple for another two
decades and helped push for the Apple Watch. In 2019, he left Apple to start his own design
firm, LoveFrom, where Apple became his client. He had reportedly grown disillusioned with
Apple under Cook, which had begun to focus increasingly on selling software and services
rather than on sweeping design changes. Apple and Ive’s design firm parted ways
in 2022. Apple would not be Apple without Jony Ive. The question now is whether Apple can continue
to turn out beautifully crafted, innovative
