Do you remember the 1st generation iPod?
It gained great popularity due to its modern design.
It is said that the motif was taken from 70 years ago, in the 1950s.
This iPod is a product of Apple’s chief designer, Jonathan Ive, who was praised by Steve Jobs as ‘a man I wouldn’t change even if I paid ten million dollars’ for its minimalist layout that allows you to see the structure at a glance and the stable grip created by the gentle curves around the edges. .
This iPod, which discarded all flashy colors and unnecessary decorations, was designed to be much smaller, cleaner, and more intuitive than contemporary mp3 players from competing companies.
It can truly be said to be a monumental product of Apple’s sensibility.
But did you know that this modern Apple sensibility is actually inspired by the 1950s?
This product is similar to the iPod in that it has a simple format so that the structure can be seen separately depending on the use of the speaker or display and control buttons. This is the T3, a small plastic radio pocket receiver from Braun, released in 1958.
There is also a story that the podcast app for iOS released in 2012 also copied Braun’s tape recorder. Of course, this is just a story.
In addition, images showing design similarities between Apple and Braun can be easily found on the Internet.
As a result, when Apple first released the first generation iPod in 2001, there were voices from many quarters questioning whether it was plagiarism.
Is the ‘Apple sensibility’ that has left a mark on the 21st century electronics market really a product of plagiarism?
Of course not.
The owner of this design, which boasts elegance even though it was created over 70 years ago, is industrial designer Dieter Rams, who was the chief designer of Braun.
Comparing the works of Rams and Ive, you can see that they share more essential things than just aesthetics, such as design, materials, and simple colors.
This is the functionalist design philosophy.
It refers to a design that excludes decorative elements as much as possible and focuses on the function of the product itself, while also being beautiful at the same time.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that all types of minimalist designs today are largely influenced by Rams.
For this reason, many people believe that Ive inherited Rams’ design in a modern way rather than plagiarizing it.
But what I’m curious about here is, wouldn’t Rams be displeased when a product that looks exactly like his design was released on the market?
Fortunately, there were no mud fights or legal disputes between the two.
Ive left Apple Park Design for the last time in 2019, leaving behind a long relationship with Apple.
After leaving the company, I signed a consulting contract with Apple for about three years and collaborated on design, but this ended in July of last year and I completely parted ways with Apple.
In addition, on the 8th, a key executive in charge of the design of the iPhone and Apple Watch decided to resign in February, making us even more curious about what changes will occur in Apple’s design strategy in the future.
Can Apple once again come up with a design that will change the world?
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