Comments on: Deconstructing the Design Process http://aarronwalter.com/2007/05/05/deconstructing-the-design-process/ Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:52:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Matt Norris http://aarronwalter.com/2007/05/05/deconstructing-the-design-process/#comment-4232 Matt Norris Wed, 09 May 2007 04:40:38 +0000 http://aarronwalter.com/2007/05/05/deconstructing-the-design-process/#comment-4232 I enjoyed your post as it reestablished many of the things we often forget when in the middle of this process. I am really starting to find that with every new design the enjoyment of the process gets better and better. Right now I am reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Thing-Shuffles-Commerce-Coolness/dp/0743285220/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7202106-4874209?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178685477&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow">The Perfect Thing by Steven Levy</a>. It chronicals the course the iPod has taken in the last 6 years and discusses many things, but one of my favorite chapters is named "cool". It has this name because it discusses design and how important design is not only to the iPod, but to most of Apples products. This is such a great book because you get a chance to see into the minds of Jonathon Ive and Steve Jobs, and how great the two work behind the scenes. I was really amazed at their design process and how Jon says, "our goal is about getting design almost out of the way". While talking about the G4 cube, which failed, Steve Jobs says, "It's our vision of what technology should be and how it should work and what it can do for you. We make progress by eliminating things. It's a much more courageous approach, much harder than living with all this stuff that most people live with. Saying this is not necessary, we can take this out, and you're left with just the essential thing." Anyways Jobs and Ive go on to talk about how the industrial designs they create are very much zen like but functional. The book then delves into their decision making process, the accuracy of something as simple as a curve, and the packaging. Many of these things will go unnoticed by many users, but when they all come together they make a huge distinct impact, something the iPod has surely accomplished. It's absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed your post as it reestablished many of the things we often forget when in the middle of this process. I am really starting to find that with every new design the enjoyment of the process gets better and better. Right now I am reading The Perfect Thing by Steven Levy. It chronicals the course the iPod has taken in the last 6 years and discusses many things, but one of my favorite chapters is named “cool”. It has this name because it discusses design and how important design is not only to the iPod, but to most of Apples products. This is such a great book because you get a chance to see into the minds of Jonathon Ive and Steve Jobs, and how great the two work behind the scenes. I was really amazed at their design process and how Jon says, “our goal is about getting design almost out of the way”. While talking about the G4 cube, which failed, Steve Jobs says, “It’s our vision of what technology should be and how it should work and what it can do for you. We make progress by eliminating things. It’s a much more courageous approach, much harder than living with all this stuff that most people live with. Saying this is not necessary, we can take this out, and you’re left with just the essential thing.”

Anyways Jobs and Ive go on to talk about how the industrial designs they create are very much zen like but functional. The book then delves into their decision making process, the accuracy of something as simple as a curve, and the packaging. Many of these things will go unnoticed by many users, but when they all come together they make a huge distinct impact, something the iPod has surely accomplished.

It’s absolutely brilliant.

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