Introduction
For this project I chose Jonathan Ive, the Chief of Design at Apple. He is largely responsible for the minimalistic design of many iterations of the iPhone and iPad. Ive was also part of the initial team of Apple designers that launched the first iPhone. This Apple designer has built a world-class reputation by consistently applying a defiance against logic throughout the entirety of his career. I chose this designer because his work in the tech industry has become a revolution that is quickly impacting our daily lives.
Project Description
The first product Ive created after Jobs’ death was the Apple Watch: a tiny computer you wear on your wrist. Though the first Apple Watch had defenders, the screen was too cluttered, and unlike the iPhone, users had to stop walking to use it on the street. However, in 2017 Apple launched the Series 3 watch, which was called the next iPhone. This shows that Ive and Apple adapted by realizing they had been underplaying the watch’s role as a fitness tracker and brought on Nike as a partner. By September of that year, the Apple Watch had reportedly become the best-selling timepiece in the world.
Methods and/or Principles
Ive has always sought to make things that aren’t just beautiful but are supremely functional as well. In tech design, it takes a great deal of work to make something easy to use, and no company has proven the principle more than Apple. Jobs pushed his engineers and designers to remember that it wasn’t the device that customers wanted — it was the experience. “We don’t get it right all the time,” Ive said in an interview with the Smithsonian about the long process of perfecting any Apple product. “As designers, you’re having to constantly learn.”
Target Audience
Apple products have really become a huge part of our daily lives as they provide numerous services needed to function in our growing technological society. Therefore, Ive’s target audience is anyone really: from young children, teenagers, and college students to business professionals, adults, and the elderly.
The Value of User-Centered Design
Through the practice of user-centered design, Ive is the Chief of Design of one of the world’s leading electronic companies. Ive believes putting the user at the heart of the product experience is critical and that design takes depth, focus, and caring about not only the product, but the user as well. I interviewed someone who had grown up with Apple products since childhood, as they have gone from owning the first iPod Nano to the iPhone XR. The interviewee has always loved Apple products and really appreciates the thoughtfulness that goes into each design and that the updates keep improving an already sleek and functional design to enhance the products even more.
My Takeaways
This assignment really opened my eyes on how crucial user-centered design is in the real world. I learned that it is truly important to satisfy the needs of the user when designing a project. Other contexts such as the physical and technological of a product as well as its usability and utility are critical to pay attention to for the product to be successful and last for years to come.
