Apple's designer took a mild jab at Motorola’s design philosophy, asked interviewers not to name the product

Feb 19, 2015 14:31 GMT  ·  By

The New Yorker’s 16,000-word piece on Jony Ive has proved to be a treasure trove of news material but also a reason to be upset if you’re the CEO of Motorola.

Rick Osterloh saw it was necessary to defend his company’s “build-your-phone” campaign after reading the piece, despite Ive not naming him or the company.

Speaking about design he didn’t like, Ive scathed about a rival product saying, “Their value proposition was, ‘Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever colour you want.’ And I believe that's abdicating your responsibility as a designer.”

Ive hurt Osterloh’s feelings

Ive asked the interviewers not to name the product in their article, but Motorola’s Rick Osterloh, president and CEO, felt directly targeted by these remarks. He told the BBC that his company had a “different philosophy,” and went on to slam Apple for its “outrageous” pricing.

He ultimately told the British broadcaster that Motorola’s belief was that “the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products,” and that their approach was the direct opposite to what Apple is doing. Fair enough.

Ive also criticized other designs during the interview, including a Toyota car, calling it “insipid.” He called it for what the Toyota Echo was, and Toyota itself probably agrees too. Some things are just utilitarian. Plus, Ive repeatedly said, “I don't want to offend.”

Ive meant no harm, and Osterloh should know better

Before anyone goes slamming Ive or Osterloh in the comments, it's important to note that both parties are right as far as their respective products are concerned.

Motorola, for its part, is showing a willingness to side with the customer and let them decide what they want to buy. Apple’s color choices (for the iPhone) are far more limited.

That being said, Apple prides itself on design more than any other tech vendor out there. They believe that their designs are final, and that any extras will ruin the experience. A bright red, for example, would impact the iPhone’s elegant figure, making it ostentatious. From this standpoint, Ive has every right to put his work on a pedestal.

Back to Motorola, it's understandable why Osterloh felt somewhat offended. The jab was most likely aimed at his company. Perhaps Motorola's design team should have picked up the baton instead of him. However, a CEO should know better than to let his feelings get hurt like this.

Disclaimer This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s personal opinion on matters relating to Apple and / or the products associated with the Apple brand. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.