An Ive for Design
The designer central to Apple's recovery in the '90s has quite a list of hit products to his credit, including the iMac and iPod
By Peter Burrows
As Apple Computer's vice-president of design, Jonathan Ive plays a critical role: keeper of Apple's unique culture of craft. It starts with Ive's team of a dozen or so designers, a close-knit group that has been resisting advances from recruiters for years. But what sets them apart isn't just talent, but the way they work with Apple's engineers and marketers, not to mention the manufacturing partners who actually build the products.
Rather than just draw pretty pictures, they're leading innovators in the use of new materials and pioneering production processes—say, the ability to put a layer of clear plastic over the white or black core of your iPod, giving it a depth of quality that most consumers don't even realize they appreciate.
Born in a middle-class London neighborhood, Ive was consumed with the mystery of how things are made by his early teens. After enrolling in the design program at Newcastle Polytechnic University, his talent and drive quickly became obvious, and he became the only student ever to win two best design awards from the Royal Society of the Arts. Here's a look at some of the creations that Ive has been responsible for over the years.