Former Apple designer debunked four myths about the company and Steve Jobs
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
Many perceive the word «Apple» as synonymous with design excellence, but only a few know how to create products on the sidelines of the company. Former chief designer of interfaces Mark Cavanaugh, who has worked in Cupertino seven years, gave an interview to Fast Co. Design, incidentally debunked four myths about Apple and Steve Jobs.
In an interview Co. Design Cavanaugh told the publication that during his time at Apple, he has worked on many projects. At first he created interfaces to the iPhoto and Aperture, then drew the elements of applications for the iPhone, and before the departure of promoting "human" user interface.
Myth # 1
As Apple has the best designers
"I think most wrong, considering that Apple manages to create cool products because of hiring the best professionals in their field. It is not true. In fact, everything is much easier - over the appearance of the products work absolutely all employees. Steve Jobs created an entire culture built to help designers. It does not matter you are an engineer or a marketer. Your duty - to give advice. And it is really effective. Very often one of ordinary employees came to us with ideas, worthy of admiration.
But no one has ever claimed councils under threat of dismissal. The employees themselves have tried to make products better "
This approach allowed designers to Apple to work more effectively their counterparts in other companies.
Myth # 2
As Apple works so many designers
It is known that Facebook has several hundred designers. In Google - 1000 or so. And how many of them in Apple? 5, 10, 15 or even 20 thousand? In fact, about a hundred.
"For the most part, Apple does not hire designers with a narrow specialization. In total, the company employed about 100 specialists, each of whom I knew by sight and by name. Someone at the top picks direction and approximate dates of their implementation - we do. Rigid framework has never been.
We very rarely works great teams. Most of these were some small tasks, such as drawing icons or interfaces for one or two people, but for iOS 7 redesign, Jonathan Ive has collected almost all designers. This also happens "
Myth # 3
Detail is given a lot of time
Apple products have always been famous small but perfectly well developed design elements and controls. Around their creation unfolded whole legend. It turns out that most of them were invented by accident. In addition, the designers never set any specific deadlines or targets. How to create a good product, if you count the minutes before the delivery of the project?
"In spite of these conditions, no messing around. Many worked even during breaks. For example, during lunch time, it was coined by shaking menu by entering an incorrect password. Then we had to somehow inform the user that the data vedeny wrong, but the idea was disgusting. We thought about it all the time, but could not come to some elegant solutions. It found itself. Not the fact that we have come up with it, if we were limited in time.
Even skeuomorph came quite by accident. It seemed to us that create copies of real objects will be interesting. We do not make a mistake "
Myth # 4
Steve Jobs was too quick-tempered
Some foreign editions wrote that in general, all employees were afraid to meet Apple Steve Jobs personally. It threatened him a few questions, the answers to which any employee can take off from work or to go to carry out Steve liked the idea, instead of a holiday or weekend.
"In fact, almost all employees love their work at Apple, and were willing to remain there almost around the clock. Many rejected the weekend or holidays, to work with Jobs. Of course, some have complained that it is unfair. Such people did not stay in the company for a long time. Jobs did not like them and sometimes ask why they all work for him, if you do not want to create the best products. I think it was not a disgust to people. Steve just does not want to work together with those who are only interested in money.
He was just super open person, but also super demanding. Sometimes it seemed that the two halves of his fighting each other "
via Fast Co. Design