Posted 10.07.2011 @ 3:11 pm by Steven R.
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We had planned to send out our company newsletter today, but we are overwhelmed with the loss of Apple visionary, Steve Jobs. The recap of our projects and monthly antics can certainly wait for another time. Today, I respectfully prefer to share what the influence he made on me personally, on our company and our culture.
I’m one of those guys who used to dabble with the Apple II. As Apple blossomed and my affinity for computers grew, I started working with virtually every model they released. I remember carrying around a Mac Plus almost as if it were a laptop, deliberating between buying the SE with a hard drive or the one with two floppies, and getting to be one of the first to play with an fx to name a few. Now I spend much of my time creating iPhone apps and I do it all on my MacBook Air.
It was not long ago when reading email on a phone felt as primitive as Morse code, or when my courier bag was weighed down with a heavy laptop and an extra battery or two. Today, iPods far more powerful than my old laptop are dispensed from vending machines.
Earlier this week, while the web was grumbling that the iPhone 5 was not released, Mr. Jobs was in his final struggle with a rare and terminal strain of cancer. Hopefully this will remind us what is important in life. As much as we all look forward to new innovations, we should take pause to appreciate what we have. Every time I swipe my iPhone to turn it on, I marvel at how amazing it is and how much has changed since I first turned on an Apple II. Every time.
So while Mr. Jobs may be on a different type of cloud now, here are a few tenets of our company that have been influenced and shaped after years of working with his products:
| Design is important. Whether you are designing a web page, an iPhone app or a TV remote control, it must look pleasing and feel natural at the same time. Consider your audience and make sure you are giving them something that works and might even be fun to use. Even if you are working on a family scrapbook or decorating a child’s birthday cake, as Mr. Jobs would say, “Make it great.”
Embrace new technologies. We live in a world where things change and evolve quickly. While it may be easier to revert to comfortable, older technologies, we must keep pace with where things are going. This is how progress is made and keeps the spirit of innovation alive. Make things better and keep pushing the envelope. Great results don’t come from doing the least amount of work in the least amount of time. This includes production work and brain work. Design and development is hard, but you can create amazing things when you stick with it and strive for greatness. |
Yesterday we lost one of the most inspiring talents in the design, technology, entertainment and corporate world. We should always remember what Steve Jobs has made possible for us and how the wonderful gadgets he created are now a part of our daily lives. Thanks for making it great!
Steven Running,
Tuesday Creative
