Insight into Apple's Design Process

[Dale_Nx26]

I don't think it is particularly standard. Otherwise, Apple would be lost among the myriad of companies out there creating innovative products

I do think that Apple has got many things right as they keep delivering and everyone tends to follow. The fact that PCs in general a little nicer to the eye, and the various features in the gadget marketplace... many of these things are copies/evolutions from Apple's products.

Although I can imagine Steve walking in, liking something, and then everyone dropping everything to get that thing made no matter anyone else's opionion... I think possibly the MacBook Air and the new folder icons in Leopard fall into this category.

Umm...do you realize how fanboy-ish you sound?

 

[Rocketman]

Saw your home-page - you are insane.

Thank you for the compliment.

Rocketman

 

[Hard-Hat-Mac]

Here's some great ipod nano mock-ups that weren't used... iPod Nano Mock Up

 

[MikeTheC]

And here I was, all along under the misapprehension they simply cast lots to determine which component to use, or which feature to implement.

*sigh*

 

[beeh]

Apple's design "process" ( a word that would make any engineer cringe in fear ), is not much different than most companies I've worked at. I think what sets Apple apart ( for now anyway ) is they may be more "free" as to how to get to an end product. Most companies get hung up with all kinds of process to "improve" development. But all process does is bog down the development cycle, to the point where either a) no good engineers want to work on the product anymore or b) it takes so long to finish that you miss delivery dates and the customer changes their mind...

 

[JonBean]

Brainstorming on the wrong stuff

Maybe the engineers could to take time to clean up what they've already created! Apple is so proud of the fact that they write all their own stuff but you wouldn't know it from all the inconsistencies.

One for instance: How many different ways delete or copy a file? Right click, move to trash. Right click, delete. Right click, nothing. Hit the delete button, file's gone. Hit the delete button, nothing. Command delete. Trying to help someone convert from MS to Mac can be maddening. Dumb.

Arrow keys won't move between options like save, cancel, etc.

Command copy/paste works but not between all programs. Sometimes right click works for copy/paste, sometimes it does not.

So much for coordination.

Jon

 

[SiliconAddict]

What insight do you need? Really. it boils down to make it thinner at all cost. If you have to sacrifice features...do it. If you have to sacrifice reliability (iBook and 12" PowerBooks I'm looking at you.)....do it. If you have to sacrifice storage space.. do it. Just as long as its thinner then the previous version. there you go. Insight into Apple's design motivation.