Ive first started at Apple in 1992, as a member of the design division, where he primarily helped create the Apple Newton – a device with a stylus that few could remember today. After only five years he was ready to leave, when Steve Jobs, who had recently returned to Apple, appointed him as senior vice president of industrial design. Since 1997, Ive produced some of the most recognizable designs of Apple devices, making it irresistible. Here are some devices – and not only devices – which determined our vision of today.
iMac G3
The most colourful computer Apple had ever made, which captured the attention of a worldwide audience. This was the product which saved Apple from financial disaster: it looked friendly, because of its futuristic design, with shells that you could see through that were made in thirteen different colours and – most importantly – included a small handle on top of the computer. Ive’s personal favourite, it broke the 1990s stereotype of computers being bulky and official and let you have some fun with it.
It’s successor, the Power Mac G4 Cube, was also original, with a stunning crystal-clear enclosure and smaller size than other traditional computer towers. However, it never became as successful as the G3.
iPod
After computers, it was time to upgrade music devices. The iPod came as a revolution in the music industry, becoming one of the company’s most iconic devices and the must-have MP3-player. It allowed people to carry thousands of songs wherever they went and do it really easily with wheel design. Although the wheel itself wasn’t invented by Ive, he was the one who managed to unite different technological decisions into one small device in your pocket.
iPhone
The next big thing in the company’s history, the design that changed the way we look at smartphones: Its focus on ease-of-use, a simple multi-touch display that killed any kind of additional stick in the market, and the recognizable rectangle design with its rounded corner helped Apple quickly establish itself as a major player in the phone market. The signature home button, which Apple stopped using only with the iPhone X, was also Ive’s creation, who wanted to make the device easy to operate with one hand.
Apple Packaging
The company’s most recognizable feature, unboxing Apple’s design is still a unique experience: the product faces you on the surface of the box, then, it is easy to open the cover, where you have no additional paper, no instructions, just the device itself like it was printed, waiting for you.
“I love the process of unpacking something. You design a ritual of unpacking to make the product feel special. Packaging can be theater, it can create a story,” Ive told Walter Isaacson in an interview.
iOS
Ive was the creative mind behind the earliest versions of the software as well. Simple and user-friendly, iOS remains one of the most popular software in the world, recognizable from the first glance: squares with rounded corners for icons were Ive’s signature.
iPad
When the iPad came out in 2010, it received a cold welcome from the audience – until they got a chance to get their hands on it. Microsoft and other companies had tried to sell tablets, but nobody was able to make them popular until Apple. The instrument for creators, iPad’s design focused on ease-of-use, offering a large screen to browse the web, watch videos and flip through pictures. Ipads still remain the best selling tablets in the market, well-suited both for entertainment and for work.
Apple Watch
Still mostly a luxury device, this product was at first viewed by sceptics as an unfortunate attempt by a big tech company to pull people away from traditional timepieces. However, time proved them wrong, and the Apple Watch became a part of modern city life, not only providing a brighter device for watching time flow by, but also helping to manage notifications and offering a smarter way to keep tabs on health.
AirPods
It has been only a couple of years since the world was introduced to Apple’s Airpods, yet it is already hard not to see someone listening to their music with this white pair on the street of a modern city. Ive’s focus on simplicity helped make them popular: just pop them in and you’re listening to music, and the charging case has an addictive click mechanism, like in old classic Zippos.
These are only a few examples of products which were made with Ive’s touch: all iPhone designs, all Macbook, MacbookPro and MacbookAir designs, even Apple’s new Cupertino headquarters named Apple Park with its “spaceship” design, entirely powered by renewable energy, were planned by Ive as well. However, now it is time for Ive to move forward, and even if Apple remains his client, we surely can expect more bright ideas from him in the future.