Jonathan Ive on Design and Apple's Focus on Great Products Instead of Profits

[randomnut]

Whilst I think Apple have let themselves down recently in terms of Software (mountain lion, but that's a discussion for another thread), Apple's hardware has been consistently incredible for the past 4-5 years. All the unibody hardware is quite simply the finest computer equipment available, at a hardware design and build quality level.

It is the hardware alone which brought me to Mac, and i've yet to see anything to match it.

The iPhone 4 as well (for its day) was the finest mobile device design and build quality i'd seen. I just hope they innovate for the iphone 5 rather than just trim it down a bit and give it a bigger screen as the leaks suggest. I rather liked the tapered 'iPhone Air' design which was the rumored design for what became the 4S.

They're lucky to have someone of Ive's calibre at Apple. Funny to think in the days before Jobs came back they almost low balled him out of the company.

 

[drivebass]

It's not bad to make money, changing the world. But if "changing the world" the way Apple is thinking of it's products, wasn't profitable would they still focus on great products instead of profits?

 

[AppleInTheMud]

"Jonathan Ive on Design and Apple's Focus on Great Products Instead of Profits"


Instead of profits? Thats a BIG lie ... Apple is more than any company all about profit. Even all new software releases demands new hardware... Thats for profit and nothing else, cos the 1-2 y.o. machines are more than fast enough to run these things.

But there designs are great. And there products are great. Problem is just... Nothing new from them the last 1-2 years :-(

And with nothing new I mean... They are just making the same and same without any "big" improvements. Im a fanboy but Im not stupid. So Mountain Lion and my 4S - thats not new. That's just the same **** with a new marketing campaign that promises a lot but nothing to it.

 

[Goratrix]

How is the iPhone 4/4S a "fantastic industrial design", when almost every single one I see is wrapped in some butt-ugly rubber case? Industrial design should be about a symbiosis of form and function and the iPhone with the glass front and back fails miserably in this regard. You should not need to wrap a heavily-used device in additional protectors... if you have to, then the device is poorly designed from a functional standpoint.

 

[Rogifan]

- the ultrafocus on iOS devices.
- the iBookstore pricing
- all these lawsuit nonsense with Samsung etc
- etc etc etc etc

And you tell me profit isn't their goal?

Oh and nobody says they don't focus on making great products, but to say money is the last thing on their mind is just... Dontknowifinseriousdenialorjustplaindotdotdot.jpg

Let's see iOS devices are only Apple's biggest selling products. I can't imagine why they focus so much attention on them.

 

[Winni]

Apple has ALWAYS (well, at least since the late 90s) been driven by DESIGN, not by PROFIT - it's clear that Ive was referring to the fact that it's not about designing the cheapest crap at the lowest cost to sell it at high margin...it's about designing the BEST possible device and THEN reap the rewards.

If you can't understand this basic principle, you can't understand why Apple is successful nowadays.

I think this basic principle you believe in is nothing but good sounding marketing ********. Yes, they design beautiful products - beautiful like Venus flytraps. Apple milk their customers as much as anybody else in the industry, if not more - after all, Apple only sell "premium", high-margin products. And they even own the content chain behind those products. It's like buying a car that's in the league of a Porsche but that can only use gas from the manufacturer.

Yes, Apple design beautiful looking products and they pay a lot of attention to the details. But many of those details don't have to do with pure technical or aesthetic aspects, but have something to do with cash flow and "tax payments" instead. That's also a huge part of their product design: When and how do we charge the customer AGAIN?

 

[Rogifan]

How is the iPhone 4/4S a "fantastic industrial design", when almost every single one I see is wrapped in some butt-ugly rubber case? Industrial design should be about a symbiosis of form and function and the iPhone with the glass front and back fails miserably in this regard. You should not need to wrap a heavily-used device in additional protectors... if you have to, then the device is poorly designed from a functional standpoint.

Just about every phone I see is covered in a case of some sort. Many of my friends who have phones with plastic screens use screen protectors so their screens don't get scratched. I had a plastic HTC phone and whenever I dropped it the back would come off and many times the battery would pop out. The build quality on my 4s is miles ahead of any other phone I've had.

 

[MonkeySee....]

Apple has ALWAYS (well, at least since the late 90s) been driven by DESIGN, not by PROFIT - it's clear that Ive was referring to the fact that it's not about designing the cheapest crap at the lowest cost to sell it at high margin...it's about designing the BEST possible device and THEN reap the rewards.

If you can't understand this basic principle, you can't understand why Apple is successful nowadays.

You're absolutely crazy if you think Apple is anything close to the company that is Samsung, RIM, etc. Their views on everything are completely opposite. Apple has ALWAYS been about the superior product and user experience. You cannot argue this because they've never worried about market share in PCs or other products.

And RIM, that's a good one. Look where they are at now.

Of course Apple's goal is to make money...BUT instead of taking a money first, design second approach, they took the exact opposite...and you cannot argue this because it's working.

Look at MS...their goal is to make money. But it's their first goal. And here is the statement from Ballmer that explains why they are no longer the superior company...

There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.

Apple created a superior device and the profits followed. Same with the iPad. Same with the iPod. Same with whatever else they come out with 90% of the time.

Meanwhile most of these other companies you mentioned are completely fine with putting out tons of versions of phones a year so they can maximize profits instead of developing and banking on ONE superior product. How many phones does Samsung make, have out on the market?



Um...no...he's talking about Apple. Jonny Ive IS Apple just as much as Steve Jobs was.

I'm pretty sure Jonny is speaking for Apple and about Apple. This has ALWAYS been their philosophy. Design first. Profits second.



Game changing products don't come along every year. It's just not possible.

What Apple has done in the last 10 years is mind blowing from a business perspective and disruptive force.

iPod - Destroyed CD/portable market. Changed Music industry forever. New business model.

iPhone - Destroyed most phone makers. Only few remain. Smart phone era is born. Portable 'computer' in your hand.

iPad - Destroying PC/Laptop market. Individuals realizing that tablet is all they need vs bulky desktop/laptops.

That is all within a 10 year period. Staggering.

Best posts in the thread.

I'm surprised people don't get this.

 

[sireShonBohn]

How is the iPhone 4/4S a "fantastic industrial design", when almost every single one I see is wrapped in some butt-ugly rubber case? Industrial design should be about a symbiosis of form and function and the iPhone with the glass front and back fails miserably in this regard. You should not need to wrap a heavily-used device in additional protectors... if you have to, then the device is poorly designed from a functional standpoint.

YES YES YES!

Finally!

Someone who *gets* it.

Obviously what Apple should do is powder coat their devices with pixie dust. Sadly, I hear that China is limiting exports of pixie dust due to scarcity. And since Samsung is having their displays carved by Space Nymphs from a diamond found in the center of a neutron star at the edge of our Galaxy, well. we're just S-O-L.

 

[Bezetos]

"Do you really believe in this marketing nonsense?"

Yes.

Well, you have the right to believe in it and I have the right to laugh in your face because you believe in that "world changing" bullocks.

: According to UBM analysis, it says.
: AH!
: It is the Internet, arguing with someone else suppositions.
: Denial.
: Denial.

Seriously, what's wrong with you? It's like talking to a cartoon character...

 

[MonkeySee....]

How is the iPhone 4/4S a "fantastic industrial design", when almost every single one I see is wrapped in some butt-ugly rubber case? Industrial design should be about a symbiosis of form and function and the iPhone with the glass front and back fails miserably in this regard. You should not need to wrap a heavily-used device in additional protectors... if you have to, then the device is poorly designed from a functional standpoint.

YES YES YES!

Finally!

Someone who *gets* it.

Obviously what Apple should do is powder coat their devices with pixie dust. Sadly, I hear that China is limiting exports of pixie dust due to scarcity. And since Samsung is having their displays carved by Space Nymphs from a diamond found in the center of a neutron star at the edge of our Galaxy, well. we're just S-O-L.

What are you two on about? Because users feel the need to protect their phone because they can't trust themselves not to drop it, Apples design is flawed?

 

[sireShonBohn]

I think this basic principle you believe in is nothing but good sounding marketing ********. Yes, they design beautiful products - beautiful like Venus flytraps. Apple milk their customers as much as anybody else in the industry, if not more - after all, Apple only sell "premium", high-margin products. And they even own the content chain behind those products. It's like buying a car that's in the league of a Porsche but that can only use gas from the manufacturer.

Yes, Apple design beautiful looking products and they pay a lot of attention to the details. But many of those details don't have to do with pure technical or aesthetic aspects, but have something to do with cash flow and "tax payments" instead. That's also a huge part of their product design: When and how do we charge the customer AGAIN?

Seriously. Do you know how companies operate at all? Or real life for that matter?

Do you think car companies release a "new" car every year because they just had so many crazy new ideas on how to make a car go forward, backward, left, right, and come to a complete stop?

All your arguments are ridiculous because having anything besides food, water, shelter, and transportation, is discretionary spending. Discretionary spending is based on wants not needs. Wants are completely arbitrary, you can't define what wants should be, it's like getting mad at a person or company for liking yellow. It's like becoming enraged because Apple had the audacity to add a new feature to a computer just to make someone WANT it.

GET IT?

 

[Ping Guo]

YES YES YES!

Finally!

Someone who *gets* it.

Obviously what Apple should do is powder coat their devices with pixie dust. Sadly, I hear that China is limiting exports of pixie dust due to scarcity. And since Samsung is having their displays carved by Space Nymphs from a diamond found in the center of a neutron star at the edge of our Galaxy, well. we're just S-O-L.

Or just do what Samsung and Nokia do and use polycarbonate, a very lightweight and strong material. You really think there are no other material options?

 

[sireShonBohn]

What are you two on about? Because users feel the need to protect their phone because they can't trust themselves not to drop it, Apples design is flawed?

I thought that was pure biting sarcasm, I guess I was wrong, better luck next time.

----------

Or just do what Samsung and Nokia do and use polycarbonate, a very lightweight and strong material. You really think there are no other material options?

Do you think polycarbonate is more scratch resistant than glass??

Can you remind me, I seem to have forgotten, is polycarbonate plastic? Because if it isn't, I think I have a set of "polycarbonate" silverware I'd like to sell you.

 

[quasinormal]

I'd argue Apple's ethos of design taking precedence over profit comes from Steve Jobs' Buddhism beliefs.

http://viewonbuddhism.org/compassion.html

As with other beliefs, Buddhism teaches the path to happiness is compassion for others and a selfish pursuit of happiness will lead to unhappiness. In other words, focus on the keeping the consumer happy and profit (happiness) will follow.

 

[Bezetos]

What are you two on about? Because users feel the need to protect their phone because they can't trust themselves not to drop it, Apples design is flawed?

Let me remind you about the iPhone4 antenna design flaw...

 

[Ping Guo]

Do you think polycarbonate is more scratch resistant than glass??

There are many, many types of glass, some scratch-prone, others virtually scratchproof. Same goes for polycarbonate.

Can you remind me, I seem to have forgotten, is polycarbonate plastic? Because if it isn't, I think I have a set of "polycarbonate" silverware I'd like to sell you.

Oh really? I have some wonderful glass iPhone cases I'd like to sell to you, guaranteed not to scratch when dropped.

Scratching aside, polycarbonate has many other desirable properties from an engineering standpoint. It is extremely strong, impact-resistant, and light weight. It's used in surgical devices, knee and hip replacements, and bulletproof glass.

 

[MonkeySee....]

I thought that was pure biting sarcasm, I guess I was wrong, better luck next time..

Sorry, dude. I'm still half asleep!

 

[Rokkus76]

Nice words Jony. Let's see you make a new Mac Pro now ok ?

And a nice iMac upgrade/redesign... it's time to do it!

 

[Jimrod]

Or just do what Samsung and Nokia do and use polycarbonate, a very lightweight and strong material. You really think there are no other material options?

In response to this and previous posters about design and cases - My iPhone 4 was bought at launch, never had it in a case (Have 3G mostly off still due to "holding it wrong" issue, only using when needed - have WiFi most places I go anyway). It's either in my pocket or on desktop.

I've dropped it at least half a dozen times on hard surfaces and aside from some very minor dings on the black edge the only real mark is a slight scratch on the screen front, only viewable very close and at certain angles. I only got that scratch when it slid off a sofa and landed face down on the edge of a mug oddly enough. For me it's been extremely durable without a case so the design works pretty well.

 

[the8thark]

But there designs are great. And there products are great. Problem is just... Nothing new from them the last 1-2 years :-(

You wanna know why? Apple are pushing the limits of hardware/software integration. Take the RMBP for example. It's has it's issues with basic tasks like scrolling a busy safari page etc etc. Simply cause there's no hardware (GPU) in existence on the planet (in that form factor and power rating) that can do a better job. (in my knowledge, feel free to prove me wrong though)

If you want better products, you invent the better parts Apple can use to make the products.

 

[Swordylove]

Let's see iOS devices are only Apple's biggest selling products. I can't imagine why they focus so much attention on them.

I meant to say they focus on the iOS stuffs while treating the Macs as less important. I thought I put it there. Looks like I left it out. But still, that's the point - profit is their goal.

 

[Quicklite]

Design is important - but not everything.

Reading between the lines, in the Jobs days Jony wouldn't have got this sort of media exposure - now it's portrayed as if his design is Apple's savior. Only time would tell if Tim has the instinct to put the creative back to earth when necessary.

 

[Mackan]

"To me I still think it's remarkable that at a point in time on a Tuesday afternoon there isn't an idea and then suddenly later on there is an idea. Invariably they start as a tentative, barely-formed thought that becomes a conversation between a couple of people."

Apple then builds a prototype that embodies the idea and that's when the idea goes through "the most incredible transition". "You go from something tentative and exclusive to something tangible and -- by nature of it being a thing -- a table of people can sit around it and start to understand it; it becomes inclusive and it galvanises and points to a direction for effort."

Jony sure knows how to make things sound extraordinary.

 

[vikpt]

If your goal isn't making money, then why not lower your profit margins and sell your stuff at a reasonable price?

BOOM! That's what I'm talking about!