Jonathan “Jony” Ive is the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Inc. Notable achievements of his include being the conceptual and designing mind behind the original iMac, the various Macbooks, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.
Probably his most influential work was the revolutionary design of the iPod. This device has single-handedly set the standard for the MP3 player market and has continued to dominate it since its inception. Its simplistic and minimalistic design is reflected in its interface and has meant that other market competitors have had to “up the ante” and have created new devices with similar aesthetic choices just so they’re able to compete, since Ive’s iconic designs have enticed and captured the entire consumer base.
Ive’s influence doesn’t just stop there. His aesthetic is Apple’s aesthetics, and as such is all over their product range. From the aforementioned iPod, to Apple’s attempt at dominating the mobile phone market: The iPhone.
With Apple’s reputation for innovation in mind, Ive masterminded the design of the iPhone (and the iPod touch). Implementing the simplistic and minimalistic legacy of the iPod, but on a much larger degree; with the original iPhone model being entirely controlled through its impressive touch screen, and only having one button that directly interacts with the user interface: the “Home Button” (weirdly enough not depicted visually as a house, but as a rounded square). Later models also included additional buttons to facilitate volume control.
MacUser writer Dan Moran suggested in March 2006 that, when the time comes for Steve Jobs to step down as CEO of Apple Inc., Ive would be an excellent candidate for the position, justifying the statement by saying that he “embodies what Apple is perhaps most famous for: design.”
Even though Ive never did succeed Jobs as CEO, I think he maybe the best suited to becoming the new face of Apple Inc. Apple’s great public image can be partially attributed to Jobs’ charismatic presence in Apple’s various conferences, and who better to be the new “face” of Apple Inc. than the man who made it look good?
– Jack
thebiroboy 