The upcoming spring/summer 2019 edition of Document Journal includes a fascinating new conversation between Apple’s Chief Design Officer Jony Ive and Kim Jones, Creative Director for fashion brand Dior Men since 2018. Ahead of the magazine’s release in May, the full interview has been published online and is filled with observations from the two designers.
Well-timed with Apple’s Earth Day celebrations, Ive discussed the environmental responsibilities of design at length. He highlighted the accomplishments of Apple’s VP of environment Lisa Jackson, noting that if your design responsibilities begin with the right motivations and values, everything else has a tendency to fall in line. Ive added that being an innovative company reveals significant challenges:
Speaking about deadlines and the challenges of shaping a rough idea, Jones mentioned that he will occasionally set aside designs that have the potential to develop at another time. Ive compared the process to working with technology that isn’t yet mature enough to make it into a shipping product:
Since both designers must create future collections and products that won’t ship for months or years, working on a shifted timeline significantly impacts the way they think about the design process. Jones expressed his admiration for how Apple is able to consistently plan ahead to create products that feel part of the same family:
You can read the full conversation between Jony Ive and Kim Jones over on the Document Journal website. Ive has given a range of interviews in recent months, including a history of AirPods design, a sit-down discussion with industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa, and a chat at WIRED25 with Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
