Three reasons why Ive’s knighthood is good news

Firstly, it’s great to see a British Designer at the heart of the massive success of Apple…and he is at the heart of it. British design is a globally respected skill and a heritage we should be proud of.

Secondly, it’s great to see product design given publicity in this way. The design industry is a forgotten part of the “creative industries”, which creates a huge amount of wealth for the UK economy.

Thirdly, and personally the most important, Jonathan Ive is a designer that truly values the creative power that is found in team work. He is passionate about the user, the experience, the technology and the magic of modern production. At a talk I attended in 2010, he spent most of the time conveying his awe of how the iPhone is made.

Perhaps the scariest point ‘Sir Jonathan’ made at his talk was that the growth of touch screen devices was effectively leading to the withdrawal of industrial design. The iPhone (for example) is all interface. Therefore, the product disappears and the experience is dominated by the graphics.

It will be a while before medical devices have to worry about third party applications on their screens, but it will be worth watching the new paradigm that the design industry is learning to engage with.

Image source: Rex Features for The Telegraph