Jonathan Ive
Tapping away on a white translucent keyboard and staring intently at a slim futuristic monitor I think about my Silver Saint. He is a quiet unassuming man who has designed some of the most iconic products of the last decade.
I was working as an airbrush artist when I first came into contact with one of his products. The Apple iMac was completely different, it was fun rather than forbidding and I was amazed at how much better it was than anything else I had used before. I was attracted by the image of Apple as a beacon of creativity within an all too bland and monotonous industry. Using it I felt a real connection with the designer, I understood what he was trying to achieve.
I soon found the perfect opportunity to own an iMac when I embarked on my degree. A couple of weeks before I started University. In a 'mad moment' I decided to spend most of my student loan on a translucent blue box. It marked a new phase in my life as I moved away from home for the first time and embarked on the career I love. The iMac saw me through university and as I used it I began to appreciate that although it could never replace drawing, it enabled me to express my creativity in so many different ways.
Throughout University I learnt more about my Silver Saint. I found out that Jonathan Ive was a modest and shy person who seems uncomfortable with his celebrity status. Despite this modesty, he becomes animated when talking about his work, exhibiting his passion for design and attention to detail. I believe that these qualities have been transferred to his products which I have continued to use over the last ten years.
Perhaps his greatest achievement to date is the iPod, which has changed the way millions of people listen to music. To be able to lead a design team which is responsible for such a culturally significant and commercially successful product is something to aspire to. The elegance of its design and simplicity of function brings joy to millions of people everyday.
I spend significant amounts of time in contact with his products, I work on them, I listen to music on them, I talk to my family and friends on them and I even book my holidays using them! I often wonder what it would be like if Jonathan had not joined Apple, would I be sat at my desk staring at a beige box listening to my music on a bloated personal CD player?
I think that I have a lot in common with Jonathan. He has shown me that you do not have to be brash or loud to be a successful designer. Passion for design, creativity and attention to detail have enabled him to create iconic products that have changed modern culture. Jonathan Ive has already changed the way we live in so many ways. And the great thing is, you get the feeling he is only just getting started.
Mechele Kitching