Apple's designer considers Moto Maker a poor move

Feb 19, 2015 02:58 GMT  ·  By

It looks like Apple's Jony Ive is more influential than we might have thought. After rumors about his implication in designing the tri-blade lightsaber that became controversial after the release of the first trailer, Ive has come forward with another statement that puts him in the light once again.

In an interview for the The New Yorker, John Ive explained that he thinks that Motorola's Moto Maker program is worthless and that these type of services have no place in the smartphone business.

He was quoted with the following, “Their value proposition was ‘Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever color you want.’ And I believe that’s abdicating your responsibility as a designer.”

It sounds like Jony Ive considers that, once a manufacturer launches its smartphone or tablet, no one should ever be allowed to temper with it, let alone customers who purchase it.

Ive hates the idea of flexibility in the process of designing a product

In a world when game developers and smartphone makers are trying to created their products in close relationship with their customers, Jony Ive's ideas seem to be blocked in the past.

And the answer from Motorola has come without any delay. The company CEO Rick Osterloh told BBC in an interview, “Our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products…”

“We believe the future is in offering similar experiences and great consumer choice at accessible prices… A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn’t be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone.”

Calling Apple's products “an expensive luxury” isn't something that the Cupertino-based company could fight back, so it looks like Motorola had the last word on this debacle which started from something really silly. What do you think about Jony Ive's feelings towards smartphone design?