Jonathan Ive (longer bio):
It is no doubt that the Apple products have become among the most popular items desired by people today. This is due to the sleek designs created by Jonathan Ive, the Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple. Jonathan has been the star designer at Apple for 14 years, creating products such as the iMac, Powerbook, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPod, iPhone and iPad. His design and new approach to technology have turned Apple into the second largest company in the world.
Ive was born in Chingford, England in 1967. In high school, Jonathan played rugby and was often called a “gentle giant.” He was known for always being up to a challenge. He was originally interested in designing cars, but once he got to art school, he thought the other art students were too weird. After graduating, he started working at a small design firm, and was later offered a job from Apple.
When he started working for Apple, the company was not doing well and he was working out of the basement of his house. Things started improving for Ive and Apple when Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997. Jobs got rid of the bad products that were being made by Apple and was impressed by all of the prototypes that Ive had designed. Jobs decided to move Ive’s office to the Apple building and to seriously consider Ive's prototypes. Security was increased within the company; so much that other Apple employees are not able to see Ive’s prototypes.
Apple started taking off with Jonathan Ive’s new, colored design of the iMac in 1998. When the first iPod was made in 2001, the Apple “minimialist” vibe was born. Ive started to work to make every product lighter and smaller. Since 1996, he has lead the design team at Apple. Along with his team of 12 designers, Ive works to design new products, many of which don’t make it out of the design studio.
Jonathan Ive has grasped the concept of design that Apple and many consumers are looking for. He works to find the “true appeal of a product” and figure out what people are looking for. When designing, Ive puts the user first and creates a product based around them and what they want. He believes “design drives the technology, not the other way around.”
Ive is a well-respected industrial designer. According to design expert Stephen Bayley, “[Ive] thinks and thinks about what a product should be and then worries it into existence.” Bayley also says the Ive understands that a “consumer is a sophisticated aesthete who will cheerfully pay a premium price to own products that flatter by their pristine beauty and sparkly intelligence.” This desire for beauty and intelligence has been portrayed in Ive’s products today. Ive was also awarded the RSA's Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry. Judges said “his designs make computers accessible. When you see an Ive product you think, yes, that's how that should have looked all along. I want to use it.” He was also awarded the Industrial Designers Society of America's Industrial Design Excellence Award.
Jonathan Ive has been one of the most influential designers in the past two decades. The whole field of technology has changed due to his vision of sleek products that work well and attractive. I know I am always looking forward to the next Apple product, hoping that Jonathan Ive has created something else that is unimaginable.
Jonathan Ive
Ive's revolutionary design of the 1998 iMac
Works Cited:
“Apple yum poster”.
Arlidge, John. “Father of Invention.” The Observer.” Web. 21 December 2003. 17 April 2011.
“Jonathan Ive.” Press Info. Apple Inc. April, 2006. Web. 17 April 2011.
Waugh, Rob. “How did a British polytechnic graduate become the design genius behind £200billion Apple?” The Daily Mail. Web, 20 March 2011. 17 April 2011.
Michael Graves (shorter bio):
Whenever I go to Target, I make it a point to stop and look at the Michael Graves products. Michael Graves was born in Indiana in 1934. He is know for being one of the New York Five architects and his many architecture, drawing and product projects.
As a child, Graves was interested in drawing and painting. Graves attended the University of Cincinnati. He then went to Harvard University and received a Master of Architecture. From there, Graves attended a fellowship program at the American Academy in Rome. It was in Rome where Michael Graves learned the “language of architecture.” In 1962, Graves returned to the United States as a lecturer at Princeton University. He then opened his own practice in 1964.
Michael Graves has designed a wide variety of projects, ranging from the “ministructure to megastructure.” He has designed many buildings, such as the Portland Building in Oregon, Resorts and Hotels for Disney, many halls for different universities. Graves has also become a common name because of his household products now sold at Target Stores. He has designed the Target Design Collection, which consists of 200 kitchen, cleaning, storage and home décor products. Graves says “Target products are an inspired balance of form and function created to infuse our daily lives with great design and joy.” He has also published many pieces of literature.
Michael Graves has been awarded the National Medal of Arts, the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal and many more product design awards.
Michael Graves
Target Tea Kettle
Works Cited:
“Michael Graves.” archINFORM. N.p. 18 Feb 2011. 17 April 2011.
“Michael Graves.”
“Michael Graves.” Modern.architecture.sk. n.p,n.d. Web. 17 April 2011.
“Michael Graves”. Target.com. Target Designers Shopping Directory. N.d. 17 April 2011.
“Michael Graves.” Wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, 6 April 2011. Web. 17 April 2011.
“Michael Graves Target Tea Kettle”
Fred and Friends (shorter bio):
There have been several stores that I have been at where I have run into the Fred products. The company Fred and Friends, started by Fred Roses, designs and markets everyday products with a creative twist. Their studio is in Cumberland, Rhode Island and it is there where the ideas of senior designer, Liz Dubois, are put to work. Founded in 2004, this is a fairly new company. One can see from their products, that there are extremely creative designers working at Fred.
Their unique products have been featured in many magazines, such as Rachael Ray, Oprah and People. Also, their products have been displayed on the Today Show.
On their website, worldwidefred.com, Fred posted a message saying that they produce “stuff that works, puts a smile on your face, and doesn’t cost a fortune.” Many of their products are designed with a theory of play on words. For example, their “Peace of Cake” cake pan is in the shape of a piece sign. The products are designed with the idea of being perfect, quirky gifts to give to people.
Tank Up Coffee Cup
To Do Tattoos
Air Fork One
Works Cited:
“Airfork One™.” Worldwide Fred.
“Fred and Friends.” Worldwidefred.com.
Hollands, Courtney. “Coming up with the latest in truly off-beat items? It's a gift.” The Boston Globe, 18 Sep 2008. Web. 17 April 2011.
“Tank Up™”. Worldwide Fred.
“To-Do Tattoo ™”. Worldwide Fred.
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