Otherwise, find a Steve Jobs and become his loyal servant
Just read a great opinion piece by Stanislav on Apple, creativity, and Jobs’ monopolies [on taste and usability]. The bulk of the article is about how Apple competitors have squandered opportunities to do good work, but I think a central message is about how great design comes about (e.g., not by committees, which is common practice in nearly all non-Apple companies):
Non-Apple’s Mistake
If you are creative, create. Otherwise, strive to find a strong-willed [Steve] Jobs figure gifted with good taste, and become his loyal servant. This is how we get quality products, everywhere from architecture to operating systems. There is no other way. Creativity requires a mind, and a herd has none.
Stanislav is no fanboy, by the way … many people miss his disclaimer at the bottom:
A number of people linking here seem to think that I like Apple or forgive its sins (as if Apple needs my forgiveness.) This is a mistake. I loathe Apple products, and chafe under the straightjacket of their aesthetic whenever I use one. I simply happen to despise their competition that much more. At least Apple has an aesthetic. Its works, however flawed, are the works of a person, rather than an amorphous blob.
Good design requires personality — something that committees and focus groups lack. Given that most companies’ designs are driven by committees and focus groups, this creates a wonderful opportunity.
Bottom line: there is plenty of room for good design. Go to.
