Materials for a car

Thoughts on Apple Car, Part 45

We have discussed the product design of Apple Car from a number of POVs so far, but still missing is one of the core design principles of Apple: Innovating with the nature of materials.

Here’s Jony Ive in a 2014 NYT interview on materials:

»Deep in the culture of Apple is this sense and understanding of design, developing and making.«

Jonathan Ive on Apple's Design Process and Product Philosophy

And from a recent 2016 CNET interview about the new Macbook Pros:

I feel very strongly that you cannot separate form from material, from the process that forms the material. Those have to be developed incredibly coherently and together. Which means that you can’t design in a way that’s disconnected from how you make [a product]. So that’s one important relationship.

We spent huge amounts of time just [on] material exploration. We explore a whole range of different materials, a whole range of different processes. I think you’ll be surprised at how sophisticated the conclusions…