When something's made in the smallest volume - as a one-off couture piece - or in large quantities, deep care is critical to determine authentic, successful design and, ultimately, manufacture.
Apple's Industrial Design team is harder to get into than the Illuminati, and part of the reason is because no one leaves. In the last 15 years, not one of the 18 designers has ditched Apple for greener pastures.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The exclusivity and loyalty of Apple's Industrial Design team is unparalleled, suggesting a strong culture and commitment among its members.
In this quote, Jonathan Ive highlights the remarkable loyalty and dedication within Apple's Industrial Design team, comparing it to the secrecy and exclusivity of the Illuminati. The statement emphasizes not only the difficulty of joining such a prestigious team but also the fact that once individuals are part of it, they rarely leave, indicating a unique organizational culture that fosters commitment and satisfaction among its designers.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a presentation on corporate culture, you might quote this to illustrate the importance of team loyalty.
More from Jonathan Ive
All quotes →I find that when I write, I need things to be quiet, but when I design, I can't bear it if it's quiet.
I'm always focussed on the actual work, and I think that's a much more succinct way to describe what you care about than any speech I could ever make.
One of the hallmarks of the team is this sense of looking to be wrong. It's the inquisitiveness, and sense of exploration. It's about being excited to be wrong, because then you've discovered something new.
We say no to a lot of things so we can invest an incredible amount of care on what we do.
Goal we've always had for design at Apple is to create solutions that are inevitable.
Similar quotes
We have reason not to be afraid of the machine, for there is always constructive change, the enemy of machines, making them change to fit new conditions.
I have always been convinced that the only way to get artificial intelligence to work is to do the computation in a way similar to the human brain. That is the goal I have been pursuing. We are making progress, though we still have lots to learn about how the brain actually works.
We want to build technology that everybody loves using, and that affects everyone. We want to create beautiful, intuitive services and technologies that are so incredibly useful that people use them twice a day. Like they use a toothbrush. There aren't that many things people use twice a day.
We cannot idealize technology. Technology is only and always the reflection of our own imagination, and its uses must be conditioned by our own values. Technology can help cure diseases, but we can prevent a lot of diseases by old-fashioned changes in behavior.
Scientists tell us that we have enough technology to save our planet. . . . Yet we don't take advantage of this new technology. . . . The technological has to work hand-in-hand with the spiritual. Our spiritual life is the element that can bring about the energies of peace, calm, brotherhood, understanding, and compassion. Without that, our planet doesn't stand a chance.
I'm always interested in what you can do with technology that people haven't thought of doing yet.