Apple Design Chief Jony Ive Awarded 2018 Stephen Hawking Fellowship

[MarkB786]

"where he is expected to offer "reflection on his career, split with a more general reflection on technology and design as a whole."

Ive (apply Ive accent): " Well, the first try was smooth, but not smooth enough. So I told them Smoother! And they used this metal stuff, and it was smoother. Then the curves, I told the engineers, can you make it curvier? You know, sexy sassy curvy. And then they said they couldn't, and I said You Must! And sure enough, it was curvier. Then I said...."

It's going to be an engaging reflection time! Hawking would have been proud! God help us when our proudest human achievement is immersive phone design.

 

[Kaibelf]

Hopefully the next "award" he receives is a pink slip from Apple. He's ego is so out of control and he's ruined many a great product with his meddling

I guess that means you won’t be attending his lecture when you go to Cambridge then?

 

[LizKat]

In the promo video for the iPhone 5C when he said it was “unapologetically plastic” I eye rolled so much.

That 5C was one of my favorite phones... silken finish, practically indestructible, still have it in use as a WiFi only device.

 

[ignatius345]

That 5C was one of my favorite phones... silken finish, practically indestructible, still have it in use as a WiFi only device.

People shy away from it, but I honestly wonder why there isn't an iPhone back made from a good grade of plastic or something (polycarbonite maybe? carbon fibre?). Lighter, more impact resistent, transparent to radio waves...

 

[timborama]

Every time I see Jony’s face on MacRumors my heart skips a beat because I fear he’s stepping down or worse. Some people here seem to hate him but I never want him to leave Apple. He was Steve’s favorite and for good reason. Sure some of his videos are ridiculous but he does good design work for the most part.

LOL. I guess Mr. Bean wasn’t available. But seriously, every time I see him in an article I’m HOPING he’s stepping down. Please do the right thing Jony, leave! Your best days are long behind you.

 

[FireFish]

Say it with me folks:

Aluminium

 

[AngstyKylo]

Every time I see Jony’s face on MacRumors my heart skips a beat because I fear he’s stepping down or worse. Some people here seem to hate him but I never want him to leave Apple. He was Steve’s favorite and for good reason. Sure some of his videos are ridiculous but he does good design work for the most part.

I feel the designs as beautiful as they are, have become a bit stale - especially on the computer side.

The Airpods and Airpod case still show that Apple have some geniuses in design when they make something new.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

I guess that means you won’t be attending his lecture when you go to Cambridge then?

of course i would, you can learn a lot from the inferior, when you spot them. nevertheless he has achieved a lot, but unfortunatey he's no overall genius, he lacks the necessary reflection on if something is practicable in the wildlife

 

[davidjearly]

I think you mean Sir Jony Ive.

 

[cnev3]

Jony is the man.

 

[44267547]

A lot of snide comments about Ive. My personal favorite for me was the Apple Watch design, and I know he was behind that project with Marc Newson as a collaboration. I think there is a reason that Steve Jobs saw something really special in him and Ive have has proven that with his history with Apple over the course of years. I think he is _way_ more talented more than others give him credit for.

 

[miniyou64]

He’s not even in the same league without Steve driving

 

[laz232]

"Charles Connor, Cambridge Union Society President" Basically wants a chance to meet Ive. anyone that thinks otherwise and believes the spiel to justify this (Ive is a great designer but no way appropriate for this award) is being bamboozeld....

 

[WatchFromAfar]

So people are giving awards to a man who makes things look nice compared to a theoretical physicist?

 

[BruceEBonus]

That photo of Ive and of Ive himself share the same relevance - both only
pertained during the Jobs era.

 

[santiente]

Agreed IPhone 6 was very slippery without a case

 

[RecentlyConverted]

Ugh.
I had almost forgotten about him... wish you hadn’t brought him up. =/

What a tool.

Do you think that the iPhone would have been anywhere near as good and popular as it is today without him. Look at the version proposed by Tony Fadell and his team. The iPhone would probably have been a failure and Apple would have gone bust sooner or later.

 

[Kabeyun]

Ugh.
I had almost forgotten about him... wish you hadn’t brought him up. =/

What a tool.

Do you think that the iPhone would have been anywhere near as good and popular as it is today without him. Look at the version proposed by Tony Fadell and his team. The iPhone would probably have been a failure and Apple would have gone bust sooner or later.

You can be and are both right. Guy was a full-on tool (as was Jobs to some) but was also part of iPhone’s success. In the end, his jerkiness ran afoul of even Jobs, his sponsor, and his design aesthetic ran afoul of Ive, Jobs’ soulmate, so asta la bye bye. But he did help make iPhone what it is today.

 

[Vanilla35]

His hardware design is near flawless (there are always preferences ofc), but his software design imo is pretty poor. It's not so much the style rather than the usability. He has this idea that everything is perfect in his head, but it doesn't turn out to be that way when it comes to user experience. The old iOS was better.

 

[til1p]

Every time I see Jony’s face on MacRumors my heart skips a beat because I fear he’s stepping down or worse. Some people here seem to hate him but I never want him to leave Apple. He was Steve’s favorite and for good reason. Sure some of his videos are ridiculous but he does good design work for the most part.

Same. I feel you on the Jony vibes. IMHO, he's the last true connection to the lifeblood of Apple via Steve.

 

[rom3o]

I still don’t get how an ingenious designer like him can be fine with that annoying protruding camera that makes iPhones wobble and clatter whenever lying on hard surfaces. Why not make the housing slightly thicker and use the extra space for more battery capacity?

 

[Bin Cook]

Every time I see Jony’s face on MacRumors my heart skips a beat because I fear he’s stepping down or worse. Some people here seem to hate him but I never want him to leave Apple. He was Steve’s favorite and for good reason. Sure some of his videos are ridiculous but he does good design work for the most part.

+1 thought it was illegal for Americans to appreciate Sir Jony.

 

[Jimmy James]

I still don’t get how an ingenious designer like him can be fine with that annoying protruding camera that makes iPhones wobble and clatter whenever lying on hard surfaces. Why not make the housing slightly thicker and use the extra space for more battery capacity?

He’d put a spike on the backside and try to make you balance the phone on that if he thought it made the phone look better.

 

[Nicksd84]

Just out of curiosity, how does a single design, however horrible, support your "hard disagree" with macduke's statement that Sir Jonathan "does good design work for the most part" [emphasis added]?

You know the guy did say “for the most part”.

Obviously not all of Jony’a designs were amazing and revolutionary, but he has an EXCELLENT track record.

It’s a critical design flaw on their most important product. The thing was like a bar of soap and carried up through the 7. Sorry that’s not something you just say “eh everything else he’s been involved with is really good”. I love his stuff, but having that phone for three years and multiple cracked screens. No pass from me.
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In the promo video for the iPhone 5C when he said it was “unapologetically plastic” I eye rolled so much.

Yea. To be fair they did make a plastic phone better than their peers. I really liked that design.

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

Do you think that the iPhone would have been anywhere near as good and popular as it is today without him. Look at the version proposed by Tony Fadell and his team. The iPhone would probably have been a failure and Apple would have gone bust sooner or later.

Well, idk about that & have never heard that he was all that pivotal in iOS in its entirety.
However, I am aware of the IMMENSE contributions of hardware specialist, Bob Mansfield, who comes across as a big sweet teddy bear & was effectively pushed out of Apple by the horrible and caustic attitude of Forstall.
When he retired Tim faced an “insurrection” at Apple. He was a well-loved & integral part of Apple and only agreed to come back AFTER Forstall was ousted.
Forstall was known for crowing to others (while Steve was still alive!!) how “Steve would never do this”, etc. , even though he had known Steve for a shorter period than virtually any other high-level employee he’d deal with.
Further, he was the only member of the software team cocky enough to refuse to take any heat over the Maps debacle & wouldn’t sign the apology note that everyone else signed.
Steve gave away untold amounts of free bumpers over “antennagate”.
Forstall seems to have fancied himself the 2nd coming of Steve... with none of the people skills, a sliver of his genius, and the worst of his attitude traits x1000.
He was tearing Apple apart.
I haven’t heard he’s missed at the company- only by a few fanboys who have inexplicably put him on a pedestal.
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People shy away from it, but I honestly wonder why there isn't an iPhone back made from a good grade of plastic or something (polycarbonite maybe? carbon fibre?). Lighter, more impact resistent, transparent to radio waves...

Omg, a carbon fiber Watch & iPhone option would be stellar! =)