Jonathan Ive
Product Designer
Jonathan Ive, the mastermind behind the design on Apple essentially possesses my dream job as the head of Apple Industrial Design group. Ive was born in 1967 in Chingford England (wikipedia.com). From a young age, Ive posessed an interest in products and objects, always wanting to take them apart and see their form and how they were made. It wasn't until around age 13 that Ive was certain that he wanted to be able to go into designing things, although he was interested in designing everything and anything (cars, boats, products, furniture...) Ive went on to study Art and Design at Newcastle Polytechnic where he learned the basics of color and shape design [http://designmuseum.org/design/jonathan-ive].
Even before graduating from Newcastle, Ive began making a name for himself in English design circles for his perfectionist approach, creating many, many prototypes in order to find the perfect solution that could "tap into the products emotion" (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_39/b4002414.htm). As a student, Ive even won the Royal Society of Arts's student award in design TWICE.
After graduating, Ive took a job at Tangerine, a design consultant where he worked on a multitude of products, where his work could be diversified and always changing, although his work in England was not always appreciated.
In 1992 he was brought to Cupertino to work for Apple full time. From there is when he made his greatest contributions(http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_39/b4002414.htm). While Ive had enjoyed the ability to design many different types of products, working in a design consultant firm was difficult for Ive because he never desired to be the salesperson having to constantly pitch his ideas to companies who were unwilling to innovate because most of the company's critical decisions were made before the designer was even involved. When Ive accepted the Apple job he would be able to be within a company that would allow for more access and influence on the inside. While when Ive was first brought to Apple it was on the decline, soon after Jobs would return in 1997 would design and technology truly make an impact with Jobs and Ive at the helm (wikipedia.com). It was then when Ive would receive the title of Vice-President of Design at Apple, at only 29 years of age (http://www.fastcompany.com/100/2009/jonathan-ive). After Ive's appointment, Apple began launching their new products including the colorful iMacs, successfully selling 2 million in their first year. Since the iMacs, more products would be released including the iBook, 22" cinema display and the PowerBook line of notebook computers. Most notably in these few years between 1998 and 2003, the iPod portable MP3 player would be released (2001) marking the end of Apple's decline (http://designmuseum.org/design/jonathan-ive).
Ive's efforts as a designer would not go unnoticed as he garnered the attention of many with his sleek designs. In 2002 he won the first Design Museum's designer of the Year (and went on to win it 2003 as well)(wikipedia.com). Ive also was awarded the title of CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2006, as the Queen of England herself owned an iPod as of
2005 (wikipedia.com).
Ive works with the tight-knit, yet well equipped design group of Apple known for their sleek and technologically relevant products. With Jobs' declining health, it is speculated that someone such as Ive would be the likely successor as someone who appreciates perfection, technology and design, which is where Apple's core design values lie. While Ive has had his hand in many of the recent defining technology of our generation I'd hardly believe that he's anywhere close to being done. Jonathan Ive better clear off his shelf of awards and honorary degrees that have stemmed from his involvement with breakthrough products such as the iPhone, the iMac, and the 300 patents that bare his name (wikipedia.com). These many patents include docking, display, keyboards, and other mechanisms involved with the production of Apple's products including the iPod (http://www.patentgenius.com/inventedby/IveJonathanPSanFranciscoCA.html).
Jonathan resides in Twin Peaks (section of San Francisco) with his wife, Heather (a historian) and his twin children. He lives a simple life in a usual black shirt uniform a la Steve Jobs, though drives an Aston Martin (wikipedia.com). His future looks bright as the potential sucessor of Steve Jobs as Apple's CEO as he possesses the understanding of both the technology and the art necessary for apple's success.
photo credits:
http://kyleabaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/clamshell_ibook_ad.jpg
http://cupojoe.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/firstipod.jpg
http://www.justanothermobilemonday.com/Wordpress/wp-content/uploads//2010/05/imac_1998.jpg
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2008/10/01/iphone5.jpg
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