Say what you like about Apple but they certainly know how to push the boundries.
With all the fuss over iPods and iPhones, its easy to forget or miss the incredible attention to detail of it’s designers, and their determination to constantly solve problems and demand more from their products. In fact they are probably a victim of their own success, as we now all expect so much from them.
No doubt we’re all aware of the high profile product launches, but for me it’s the little touches in the less glamourous areas that catch my eye. I’ve just treated myself to one of their new keyboards, and what a joy it is. Who else in the mainstream is thinking of ways to half the size and thickness of their keyboards, and make them so beautifully designed? But I think my favourite little touch isn’t something that looks great, but that’s just a marvellous piece of innovation - the power plug to my laptop is held in place by a magnet - how clever is that - pure, simple, genius.
We should never settle for average, whatever we do or make, as too much of the market place does, those that stand out will be those that are prepared to find new and interesting way of doing things. I for one say well done to Apple for setting the benchmark so high, companies and organisations who put a high value on design (in all it’s forms), and place it at the heart of what they do, will reap the benefits.
The harder you push yourself, the more you will discover, and the more rewarding the results will be.
I’ll stop now before I start to sound too much like an American motivational speaker!
I’ve just got back from John Lewis High Wycombe with one of these puppies. (Not going down there just for curtains). What is also interesting is there is no software CD - you have to download it, which is of course a good thing. Just run software update and it knows you have a new keyboard. Nice.
Posted by Simon Clayson on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 at 05:18pm
Good design makes a difference
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Say what you like about Apple but they certainly know how to push the boundries.
With all the fuss over iPods and iPhones, its easy to forget or miss the incredible attention to detail of it’s designers, and their determination to constantly solve problems and demand more from their products. In fact they are probably a victim of their own success, as we now all expect so much from them.
No doubt we’re all aware of the high profile product launches, but for me it’s the little touches in the less glamourous areas that catch my eye. I’ve just treated myself to one of their new keyboards, and what a joy it is. Who else in the mainstream is thinking of ways to half the size and thickness of their keyboards, and make them so beautifully designed? But I think my favourite little touch isn’t something that looks great, but that’s just a marvellous piece of innovation - the power plug to my laptop is held in place by a magnet - how clever is that - pure, simple, genius.
We should never settle for average, whatever we do or make, as too much of the market place does, those that stand out will be those that are prepared to find new and interesting way of doing things. I for one say well done to Apple for setting the benchmark so high, companies and organisations who put a high value on design (in all it’s forms), and place it at the heart of what they do, will reap the benefits.
The harder you push yourself, the more you will discover, and the more rewarding the results will be.
I’ll stop now before I start to sound too much like an American motivational speaker!
Steve put this here at 16:03pm
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I’ve just got back from John Lewis High Wycombe with one of these puppies. (Not going down there just for curtains). What is also interesting is there is no software CD - you have to download it, which is of course a good thing. Just run software update and it knows you have a new keyboard. Nice.
Posted by Simon Clayson on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 at 05:18pm