As expected, Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive made an appearance at the WIRED25 event today. The company’s head designer was interviewed by Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
The conversation started off with technology addiction. In response to the ongoing concerns regarding the topic, Ive says that it just depends on how you use your devices.
“I think it’s good to be connected. The real issue is what you do with that connection.”
On the same topic of addiction, he notes that in “the nature of innovating” it’s impossible to “predict all the consequences.” With something like the iPhone, the company never envisioned that it would be causing such a large uptick in smartphone addiction.
In line with statements Apple has made in the past, Ive says that his responsibilities as a designer doesn’t end “when a product [has] shipped” noting that, “at the end of every project there are two things: the product you made, and what you have learned.”
Wintour then questioned Apple’s dedication to secrecy. Ive said that the company’s culture with secrecy is simply due to the fact that some products never see the light of day. And with that, the company likes to set expectations when it announces its products, letting the world know what to expect, not what might come.
“I’ve been doing this for long enough where I actually feel a responsibility to not confuse or add more noise about what’s being worked on because I know that sometimes it does not work out.”
Of course, the biggest testament to this statement is Apple’s AirPower Qi charging mat, which the company announced in September of 2017, alongside iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone X, and Apple Watch Series 3. This product, which was slated for “2018”, still has yet to ship.
Closing out the interview, Wintour asked about what keeps Ive driven at Apple, why he continues doing what he does. His response, “If you lose that childlike excitement, I think it’s time to do something else.” Wintour asked if he’s at that point, to which he responded “Oh goodness no.”
In an age when smartphone design is starting to plateau, it’s interesting to know that Apple’s head of design is still very much excited about innovation.
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