Jony Ive Discusses Apple's Creative Design Processes

Apple design chief Jony Ive in an interview to the London Evening Standard revealed how the design process works at Apple. Ive told that prototyping is deeply integrated into the design process at Apple, and discussed Apple’s approach to creating entirely new categories of products rather than simply improving on existing ones.

Q: What makes design different at Apple?

A: We struggle with the right words to describe the design process at  Apple, but it is very much about designing and prototyping and making. When you separate those, I think the final result suffers. If something is going to be better, it is new, and if it’s new you are confronting problems and challenges you don’t have references for. To solve and address those requires a remarkable focus. There’s a sense of being inquisitive and optimistic, and you don’t see those in combination very often.

Q: How does a new product come about at Apple?

A: What I love about the creative process, and this may sound naive, is this idea that one day there is no idea, and no solution, but then the next day there is an idea. Where you see the most dramatic shift is when you transition from an abstract idea to a slightly more material conversation. But when you make a 3D model, however crude, you bring form to a nebulous idea and everything changes — the entire process shifts. It galvanizes and brings focus from a broad group of people. It’s a remarkable process.

Despite significant challenges for the designers, the design process results in incredible freedom and excitement.

Check out the full interview here