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Apple Design
Easily one of the most influential and popular design companies of our era, Apple has made electronics design history with its innovative iMacs, iPhones, iPods and iPads. Apple Design features over 200 examples of outstanding Apple designs by Jonathan Ive (born 1967), the company's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, who since 1997 has been responsible for the design of all of Apple's products. Over the past decade, Ive and his team of designers have created elegant and user-friendly designs that have significantly advanced the brand's cult status as it enters the new millennium. Examining each of these in detail, and with full color throughout, Apple Design compares various approaches to industrial design alongside Apple's, and casts light on numerous aspects of its history, deepening our understanding of contemporary industrial design. Following an analysis of the forms and functions of the featured Apple products, the book provides an explanation of the innovative productio
- GenresDesign
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 28, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 18, 2024
This book accompanies an exhibit in Germany of Apple design, specifically the products designed by Johnathan Ive from ~ 1997-2011. Overall it can be considered more of a coffee table book, however there is more written content than most books of this type.
The first 40% of the book is a collection of essays about Apple design by various design professionals and historians. The remaining part is color studio photos of the entire product line designed by Ive up to the time of publication.
The overall quality of this book is nice - high quality paper, photos, and color. It is a substantial weight and feels like quality. The overall design and layout is nice too, except for the notched on the side to mimic an apple bite like the Apple logo, a little cheesy an unnecessary.
Where this book falls short is not only in timing but content. The book came out in 2011, perhaps at the mid-point (looking back) of Ive's tenure at Apple. Perhaps it was premature to product an exhibit and book so early in his career when many more Apple products would be produced. It has the feel of a retrospective exhibit, however Ive was at the peak of his design work. Has the exhibit been a true retrospective and covered all of his Apple work, it would have had the benefit of time to allow more analysis and critique of its lasting impact and significance. By producing this exhibit and this book at the peak of his popularity and career, it is essentially Ive on a pedestal for all to worship.
Reading this book in 2024 is a very different experience than if it were 2011. Much has changed in the world of technology and design, and many new products have come and gone. The work overall seems less significant than the book in 2011 would have you believe. In that respect, it seems to cater to the Apple 'fan boys' of the time who would buy and worship anything Apple. in that respect, it is a success.
The photo gallery/catalog that takes up nearly 2/3 of this book is a hugely missed opportunity. Each product is photographed in a studio from the same angle with the same lighting. The products take up less than half the page and surprisingly there are no close-up or detail shots. One of the hallmarks of Apple design is the attention to detail. The authors missed a great opportunity to have beautiful close-up photos highlighting these details. They easily could have just used previously taken photos and achieved the same result. It is basically a complete marketing catalog of product, but without any specs.
They also missed the opportunity to display the packaging and marketing. As discussed in several of the essays and as is widely known, Apple has a very cohesive design language and strategy across all disciplines - design, engineering, marketing, advertising, packaging, graphic, etc. Even though this book/exhibit focuses on lead designer Ive, it is not telling the full story and is another giant missed opportunity.
The full Apple Design story is not complete without discussing and exhibiting the full spectrum of design and not just the hardware and finished product. In addition, concept, sketches, and prototypes are completely absent from this book and would have been a big benefit shedding light into the design process as well.
If you are a big Apple lover, this book may be for you, but it is underwhelming and incomplete as a review of Apple Design, especially considering the size and what else could have been contained in the same volume.
The first 40% of the book is a collection of essays about Apple design by various design professionals and historians. The remaining part is color studio photos of the entire product line designed by Ive up to the time of publication.
The overall quality of this book is nice - high quality paper, photos, and color. It is a substantial weight and feels like quality. The overall design and layout is nice too, except for the notched on the side to mimic an apple bite like the Apple logo, a little cheesy an unnecessary.
Where this book falls short is not only in timing but content. The book came out in 2011, perhaps at the mid-point (looking back) of Ive's tenure at Apple. Perhaps it was premature to product an exhibit and book so early in his career when many more Apple products would be produced. It has the feel of a retrospective exhibit, however Ive was at the peak of his design work. Has the exhibit been a true retrospective and covered all of his Apple work, it would have had the benefit of time to allow more analysis and critique of its lasting impact and significance. By producing this exhibit and this book at the peak of his popularity and career, it is essentially Ive on a pedestal for all to worship.
Reading this book in 2024 is a very different experience than if it were 2011. Much has changed in the world of technology and design, and many new products have come and gone. The work overall seems less significant than the book in 2011 would have you believe. In that respect, it seems to cater to the Apple 'fan boys' of the time who would buy and worship anything Apple. in that respect, it is a success.
The photo gallery/catalog that takes up nearly 2/3 of this book is a hugely missed opportunity. Each product is photographed in a studio from the same angle with the same lighting. The products take up less than half the page and surprisingly there are no close-up or detail shots. One of the hallmarks of Apple design is the attention to detail. The authors missed a great opportunity to have beautiful close-up photos highlighting these details. They easily could have just used previously taken photos and achieved the same result. It is basically a complete marketing catalog of product, but without any specs.
They also missed the opportunity to display the packaging and marketing. As discussed in several of the essays and as is widely known, Apple has a very cohesive design language and strategy across all disciplines - design, engineering, marketing, advertising, packaging, graphic, etc. Even though this book/exhibit focuses on lead designer Ive, it is not telling the full story and is another giant missed opportunity.
The full Apple Design story is not complete without discussing and exhibiting the full spectrum of design and not just the hardware and finished product. In addition, concept, sketches, and prototypes are completely absent from this book and would have been a big benefit shedding light into the design process as well.
If you are a big Apple lover, this book may be for you, but it is underwhelming and incomplete as a review of Apple Design, especially considering the size and what else could have been contained in the same volume.
January 28, 2023
Remarkably detailed, it harks back to Braun's design style quite a bit. Please note that this book spans only the second Jobs' tenure at apple, starting in 1997 — previous designs are not covered.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews