How Apple’s design process created the future

What created the future wasn’t the functionality of their products, but rather how they were designed.

Apple is one of the leaders in innovation, design, product strategy, and execution. While Apple prides itself on creating better experiences, we forget what actually goes into that.

In the late 1970s when Steve Jobs founded Apple Computer, he wanted to change the world. It wouldn’t be until years later when that dream came true for the masses. But what made Apple so popular over all this time?

Was it innovative technology? The challenging ideas? Simple designs? Yes. To them all. That’s where the design process comes in. Apple brought something new to the table with every product release, but we need to look before that. Before the products hit the market.

Where It All Started

What exactly did Apple do when creating products that changed lives? As their slogan read, “Think Different” — that was exactly what they did. Their design process wasn’t a process, it was a way of thinking. It was a way of living for the employees that helped changed the world by designing devices that would do it.

It wasn’t only being customer-obsessed, it went deeper. It started even before it ever got to the customer.

Emotional Commitment

Apple designed great products not because they had the most talented designers. But, because they had the best leadership. What Jobs did well was instilling the vision of the company to his employees. He knew that if Apple was going to change the world, his employees had to be on board. Everyone needed to be 100% committed.

He found designers who believed in Apple’s vision. He helped create a sense of excitement towards the products, building that connection.

Bill Atkinson, a member of the Apple Macintosh Development Team said this,

“Those of us on the Macintosh team were really excited about what we were doing. The result was that people saw a Mac and fell in love with it. . . . There was an…