Around18%oftheworld’spopulationisiPhoneusers; however,there’sachancethat morethanhalfdon’tknowwho’sbehindthesedesignsthatneverseemtoleaveourhands. Contrarytopopularbelief,SteveJobswasn’tthesolemastermindbehindAppleproducts,having alwaysworkedwithatalentedteamandactedmostlyastheeditor-in-chief.In1997,whenApple nearlywentbankrupt,Jobsconductedathoroughexaminationofthecompany'sdepartmentsand cameacrossadesignernamedJonathanIve.Despitehisinitialhesitancewiththedesignteam’s directions,Ive’sprototypesimpressedJobs,andasafinaltest,heaskedIvetocreateanewkind ofcomputerwithbuilt-ininternetconnectivity…daysbeforethecompanywasmeanttogo under.ThisverycomputerwouldthenbecometheiMacG3,whichlaunchedin1998and completelyrevolutionizedofficeculturebyintroducingcolorintotechnologyinsteadofthe traditionalbeige.Overtime,JobsandIvebuiltacloserelationshipandcollaboratedatApple evenbeyondSteveJobs’unfortunatepassing,andJobshasbeenquotedsayingthatIvewashis “spiritual partner”
WhileJonathanIveisfamouslyknownforhisroleatApple,hisfascinationwithdesign beganlongbeforehistimethere.IvewasborninLondonin1967,andwasbroughtuptobevery handyduetohavingafatherwhowasasilversmith.Fromayoungage,hewouldtakeapart anythinghecouldgethishandson,likeradiosoranyotherhouseholdobject,tounderstandhow itactuallyworked.Insteadofsimplyenjoyingtheserviceitprovided,heneededtoknow how it providedit.ThisinsatiablecuriosityledhimtostudyindustrialdesignatNewcastlePolytechnic, wherehetrulyexcelled.Iveslowlybeguntodevelopaphilosophythatdesignshouldbesimple, intuitive,andpurposeful–whichwasheavilyinfluencedbyDieterRams’approachtodesign.
“Simplicity isn't just a visual style. It's not just minimalism or the absence of clutter. It involves digging through the depth of the complexity.” (Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson). Minimalismisn’t justtheabsenceofthings;it’salsotheemphasisofimportantthings,whichissomethingthatis echoedthroughmanyofIve’sdesigns.FromtheiMactotheiPhone,everydetailwas meticulouslyselectedandstudiedtoensureitwasfullynecessaryandbeneficialtotheuser experience.
AftertheiMac,IvecontinuedtomakeanimpactonAppleitself,andtheculture surroundingtechnologyasawhole.In2001,theiPadallowedpeopletoseamlesslytransport theirfavoritesongsinasmall,customisabledevice.Later,in2007,theiPhonewasintroduced withatouchscreeninterfaceandminimalistdesignthathasforeverchangedthesmartphone industry Eventoday,manyphonesfollowasimilarformulaoflessismore,whichcanbe attributedtoIve’searlydesignsatApple.Moreover,theMacBookAir,iPad,andAppleWatch allfollowedandcarriedsimilardetailsthatemphasizedhowhuman-centeredthedesignwas.
Eventhesmallestdetails,likeeachcurveofApple’sproductsaligningperfectlywithoneanother atthecorners,ortheweightofthedevice,canaffectauser’sexperience,whichwasunderstood byIvemorethananyone.Duetothis,everyproductwascarefullyprototypedandperfected beforeitfeltnaturalandfluid.
ItisimportanttonotethatJonathanIve’sdesignsweren’tsolelyfocusedonthedevices themselves;everyuserexperience,whethervisibleorhidden,wascarefullycuratedtobe intuitiveandefficient.Forinstance,IveplayedaroleindesigningtheiOSsystemupdatein 2013,aswellasthepackagingthatAppleProductsarepackagedin.Thecleanandminimal boxesIvedesignedmadeunboxingAppleproductsexcitingandevensatisfyingsinceevery productisperfectlyembeddedintothepackaging.WhiletheiOSsystemredesignintroduced
moresimplifiednavigationandmadecertainappfunctionalityeasiertounderstand.Bothof theseexperiencesprovethatIve’sdesignphilosophyextendedbeyondtheobjectsthemselves, buteverypartoftheexperience,whichresultedinaninteractionthatfelteffortlessand rewarding.
Allinall,itisundeniablethatJonathanIvehasforeverinfluencedtechnologyanddesign.
Beforethisupriseincolorandergonomics,technologywasprimarilybeige,bulky,andslow–andIvewasamongthefewtorecognizethatdesignneededtoenteranewspacewhereitwas madeforusandourneedsashumans,beyondjustaccomplishingaworktask.Heintroduced coloranddynamicforminhisdesigns,whichpsychologicallyinfluencesaperson’smood, especiallyifoneisstaringatthatsameobjectallday Eventually,hisdesignshelpedturnApple intoabrandthattrulybecameareflectionoftheir“ThinkDifferent”slogan,sincetheirproducts allowedtheirconsumerstoapproachtechnologythrougharefreshinganddigestiblelensand leavetheoldmaximalistdaysbehind.JonathanIvehasreshapedthewayweasasocietyinteract withtechnology,andwillforeverleavealegacythatdefinesmoderndesign–yetstill,his influenceremainsunknownwhendiscussingApple’sinfluenceamongstyoungergenerations.
Isaacson,Walter Steve Jobs Simon&Schuster,2011.
“Jonathan Ive: Principles and Philosophy of Powerful Design.”PlayforThoughts,30Sept.
2020,https://www.playforthoughts.com/blog/jonathan-ive-power-of-great-design
Lidsz,Franz.“Apple Designer Jonathan Ive on What’s Next.”TIME,17Mar.2014, https://time.com/jonathan-ive-apple-interview/
Brassart,Arthur “Jonathan Ive: The Simplicity and Design Visionary ”Youtube,7Jan.2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PonRdT3ivrE&t=55s