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Tue, 30 Jun 2009 Jonathan Ive reveals Apple design secrets

I can't draw, hate focus groups, love prototypes

Simon Jary

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Apple’s senior vice president of industrial design Jonathan Ive partially lifted the veil on the secretive machinations of the Apple design process at a special “Innovation Night” event held at London’s Royal College of Art (RCA).

Ive is due to receive an honorary doctorate from the RCA tomorrow.

Ive was interviewed on stage by outgoing RCA rector Professor Sir Christopher Frayling.

“I can't imagine designing without making [physical products],” Ive told the assembled horde of 700 UK design gurus. The front section of the hall was reserved for Apple VIPs, who all received Apple goodie bags.

“I love making prototypes. We go right from idea to prototypes. I just love making objects.

“Prototypes create this dramatic shift in the conversation - suddenly it becomes tangible and the silence goes away.”

Ive explained why Apple limits its product range: “When you do everything to make the very best product, it also means you're very focused on just a few products.”

Ive admitted that his drawing skills are “terrible”: “And I'm a lousy presenter. So I focus on designing instead,” he joked.

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones asked Ive what was the one thing about the first iPhone he really hated. Ive evaded the question, but stated designers “are never satisfied”.

The British-born Apple design chief was dismissive of design based on focus group: “We don't do focus groups. They just ensure that you don't offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products.”

Former toilet designer Ive was born in Chingford, Essex, England, in 1967. As well as the iMac he has won awards for his innovative designs of the aluminium and titanium PowerBook G4, MacBook, unibody MacBook Pro, iPod and iPhone.

Employee and friend of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Ive was the winner of the London Design Museum's inaugural Designer of the Year award in 2002, and won again in 2003. He was listed in the 2006 New Years Honours list, receiving a CBE, for services to the design industry.

Graduates of the RCA, the world's only postgraduate art and design school, include architect David Adjaye, artists David Hockney and Tracey Emin, film director Ridley Scott (director of Apple’s legendary ‘1984’ commercial for the launch of the Macintosh) and vacuum man James Dyson.

Many thanks to Pascal Finette - evangelist, consultant and Open Innovation Catalyst at Mozilla Labs – who reported the sage sayings of Jonathan Ive via Twitter. Follow him at twitter.com/pfinette

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Comments received


Danny Kelly said on Tue, 30 Jun 2009

Thanks Simon, great read, good to know that Apple's top designer is human after all.

Typo said on Tue, 30 Jun 2009

There's a type in your story. You write, "it also means your very focused on just a few products." Please don't confuse "your" with "you're".

Alan Smith said on Tue, 30 Jun 2009

"You're" and not "your."

It should read, "... it also means you're very focused on just a few products.”

Macworld staff said on Tue, 30 Jun 2009

Typo should be corrected by now. Thanks.

Hadrian said on Tue, 30 Jun 2009

There's a surprise.. Rory Cellan-Jones being negative towards Apple and its products. No doubt he turned down the Apple goodie bag.

Rory Boreme said on Tue, 30 Jun 2009

Rory Cellan-Jones is indeed a Apple hating numpty. The BBC's Microsoft bias is shocking.

mach1 said on Wed, 01 Jul 2009

Why oh why do Apple have to be so restrictive with their products. The new V3 firmware update for the ipod touch G2 has Bluetooth enabled ( for headphones and syncing) pity I still cannot connect my Bluetooth gps to the wretched thing. My family owns three ipod touch devices and one mac pro. I have to say I like the quality of the products, but not the crippled software that their software guys come up with. Apple word of advice employ some programmers who are allowed to be inventive and progressive instead of following the old restrictive Apple model.

Hue said on Wed, 01 Jul 2009

Sorry to nit-pick, but it's 'Royal College of ART' [singular] and NOT "Royal College of Arts" {sic} ~ although, of course, there is also something called the 'Royal Society of Arts' [plural].

Jive said on Wed, 01 Jul 2009

I'd love to own a Jonathan Ive toilet. What a creative space that would be :-)

Martin-tf said on Wed, 01 Jul 2009

Got to agree with him. I always learn so much more from the first prototype than the my CAD models - no matter how good modern software gets I think this will always be the case.

WC Boggs said on Wed, 01 Jul 2009

Jive. The iBog prototype was never going to be a hit - Apple's tight age restrictions meant you had to sign and post a document down the pan before you sat down, those under two had to use the iPotty or risk falling in.

Julsbo said on Wed, 01 Jul 2009

I was fascinated to see the way Ives bundled together design research with focus groups. His criticism of the latter is spot-on, but the former is another world entirely.

MrImpulsive said on Thu, 02 Jul 2009

To Typo "There's a type in your story.", should read "There's a typo in your story." ;-)

Jive - No shit!

Taryn said on Fri, 03 Jul 2009

To Julsbo:
I read the piece three times searching for where "...Ives bundled together design research with focus groups..."

The closest I found was: "...[Ives] was dismissive of design based on focus group: “We don't do focus groups...."

Did you hear or read something else he said about design research? I'm not getting the same meaning from the comment.

While Ives may not be fond of focus groups, it's well known that Apple prototypes are mercilessly flogged by insiders and and staff, and see many revisions before they are finalized.

ian said on Mon, 06 Jul 2009

but good to see even after all that flogging the designs still maintain the absoloute quality & purity that we all admire.

Julian said on Wed, 08 Jul 2009

"Rory Cellan-Jones is indeed a Apple hating numpty."

AN Apple hating... !

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