Over the last week, the big design buzz has been on Jonathan Ive leaving Apple. Much of the conversation is around the impact he’s had on the design of Apple’s products — on shaping the form of the things we want and buy. As I reflected on the news, I was struck not by the impact his departure might have on Apple, but instead, on the widening split between consuming things and making things.
Jony Ive and the Myth that Only Certain People Can Design
Take inspiration from his work by making something yourself.
July 01, 2019
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Summary.
When design is something that’s done, not something that’s had, it is empowering. “Making things” is something anyone can do. People who are trained to do it, like Ive, do it much better than the rest of us. But when we make things, we realize that we have autonomy and power. The products designed at Apple under Ive’s leadership, for all of their beauty and sophistication, have reinforced that design is about magic people making magic things. By placing these phones and tablets and monitors on a pinnacle of grandeur, we’re reinforcing the elitism of design. It says: “There are only some people who can make things. Everyone else should buy things.” We’ve done this with Karim Rashid, Michael Graves, Philippe Starck, and, of course, Steve Jobs. Let’s celebrate Ive’s impact on the world not by highlighting the stuff he’s made, but instead, by finding inspiration in his ability to make them.