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.
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Even though you can't get along without your smartphone, there are not many essential services on your smartphone. They're mostly convenience; you could live without it. Essential means you die without it. A gadget that warns you're about to have a heart attack - that's essential. We're about to go into that phase with smartphones.