Carmen's New Media Blog (102D): Jonathan Ive

Jonathan Ive is renowned for being the Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Computer, including the iMac and iPod. As a kid, Jonathan was always interested in the construction of objects as a child, and a fascination with taking those objects apart, and with that knowledge, he applies it to the design of Apple computers.

Ive helped design the iPod.

After attending school in the south of England he moved North to study art and design at Northumbria University. He graduated with first class honours having created a pebble-shaped concept for a product to replace cash and credit cards as his final year project. Later, in 1990 Jonathan moved to London and co-founded his own design studio with Martin Darbyshire called Tangerine. Working as Tangerine, he commercialised his design skills, creating products ranging from hair combs and power tools to televisions and ceramics.

In 1992, Apple became a client of Tangerine, and so Jonathan moved to California to join Apple's design team as a full-time employee. This meant Jonathan could finally have more influence than he originally had as an external consultant. However, at the time, Apple was at it's lowest, with Steve Jobs out of the boardroom and with the patent dispute with Microsoft. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, Ive was an important part of this change, and under the new management, Ive was promoted to Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, and it began a period of unrivalled creativity and innovation which continues to this day.

The iMac G4 represents the "new age" in Apple computers.

Ive helped in the launch of the radical and visually stunning iMac G3 in 1998, which is regarded as the birth of the "new age in Apple." This brought Ive to the attention of the entire world. After that, from the iBook to the PowerBook, all of Apple’s products were met with amazement and wonder, and became instant masterpieces of product design, which has spawned and inspired countless imitations.

Everyone has influences, and Ive is no exception. While he doesn't have human inspirations, he credits his influences to three things: nature, honesty, and music. Many of the products Jonathan has created at Apple are directly influenced by natural objects. For example, the iMac G4 was taken from a sunflower, and the Pro Mouse which was inspired by a droplet of water. The natural influence can be felt in all Apple products, as it is what makes them friendly and relatable. Ive often talks about "honesty" in the materials. This is seen in the design, which is has no extra features that are not needed. In addition, Ive loves music, and has often spoken about the massive sound system in the Apple design studios and his own musical choices. The Macs Ive designed have always had an important musical element to them, whether they be the iPod, or the Mac's speaker system.