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Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

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Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#31

Post by opendais »

danudey wrote: post #30
opendais wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My nights & weekends developing software for my employer are investments in myself. No offense, but if they were investments in yourself I think you'd be either: A) Moonlight for $$ B) Working on a startup idea you were thinking about [you are on HN after all] The skill gain from doing stuff for your employer for $0, at least to me, doesn't seem equal to the return from things that my benefit me financially one day…

I'm not the parent, but here's my input: As a sysadmin/devops type who mostly enjoys building infrastructure, none of the stuff I've learned at work could really be done on my own time, and none of it is stuff I would be likely to find via contract work (or at least, nothing that I could schedule around a 9-5 job). Also, not everyone has, or wants to execute on, startup ideas. Some people don't want to be founders. S…

That is valid, I guess this is a case of my point of view clouding my judgement about what other people's options are. :)

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#32

Post by marincounty »

k-mcgrady wrote: post #12
nsxwolf wrote: post #8

MYTH #5: Steve Jobs was a vegan. I knew about the unagi. But salmon, too?

From reading his biography it sounded like he experimented with lots of different diets. And it didn't seem like he chose them for any reason other than health.

I wish he went went for western medicine! I miss the guy. I see his yacht and he never got to use it. I know it's trivial-- a rich guy not setting foot on his yacht, but Steve didn't seem like the typical rich dude. Anyways--his death reaffirmed just how short life is! I wish these companies would throw billions at cancer research instead of Apps?

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#33

Post by wuliwong »

[deleted] wrote: post #14
j10t wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not exceptionally smart, but I am a "hard worker." I often work nights and weekends, and I don't hate it. As a result of my efforts, I am more skilled, and consequently enjoy a more lucrative position than I otherwise would. If I were a mediocre developer I could earn half as much as I do, or less. My nights & weekends developing software for my employer are investments in myself.

[deleted]

It's funny how you think you know what this person needs or "owes" himself.

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#34

Post by vellum »

snowwrestler wrote: post #23
stcredzero wrote: post #18

"For Apple, having a small, really focused organization made a lot of sense when Steve was there, because so many ideas came from Steve. So having a smaller group work on some of these ideas made sense," Kawano says. "As Apple shifted to much more of a company where there's multiple people at the top, I think it makes sense that they're growing the design team in interesting ways." If anything turns out to be Apple's…

Jobs did turn divisions against one another, as when considering whether to build the iPhone with iPod OS or OS X. Jobs also permitted silos; for example under Jobs, iOS and OS X were largely separate teams. Cook seems to have taken a major step toward dissolving those silos by dismissing Scott Forestall and consolidating all design under Ive and all software under Federighi. Based on the recent iOS and OS X previews…

OTOH, he had the power to make them play nice.

From Isaacson's book: he closely controlled all of his teams and pushed them to work as one cohesive and flexible company, with one profit-and-loss bottom line. “We don’t have ‘divisions’ with their own P&L,” said Tim Cook. “We run one P&L for the company.”

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#35

Post by vacri »

snowwrestler wrote: post #22
jarrett wrote: post #2

The part about being dedicated enough to donate weekends and vacation time struck me. I'm of multiple minds about that mentality when it's applied to a large company. On the one hand, there's something beautiful about having a day job so meaningful you'll happily do more of it for free. On the other hand, I wonder if there's something exploitative about the following situation: Both employees and owners give over the…

Most people are motivated by more than money. Working in product development at a place like Apple, or Google, or Amazon, etc, gives you a chance to work with very smart, accomplished people. It gives you license to do great work and maybe push some envelopes with what is possible in your field. It gives you a platform to have a major impact on society. It makes other people say "wow" when they hear where you work, o…

It gives you a platform to have a major impact on society.

Major? Can you give some examples where a line engineer at one of the big companies has personally done something through their work that has had a major impact on society? "Wow, you work at a cool place" is small talk and prestige, not something that has a societal impact; something that inherently changes the way people interact with and/or perceive each other.

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#36

Post by norswap »

jarrett wrote: post #2

The part about being dedicated enough to donate weekends and vacation time struck me. I'm of multiple minds about that mentality when it's applied to a large company. On the one hand, there's something beautiful about having a day job so meaningful you'll happily do more of it for free. On the other hand, I wonder if there's something exploitative about the following situation: Both employees and owners give over the…

But is the work really meaningful? I suppose it depends on the definition, and it's probably a subjective matter anyway.

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#37

Post by godDLL »

Gracana wrote: post #15
_random_ wrote: post #4

"MYTH #1 Apple Has The Best Designers" - don't want to be a troll, but it's enough to say "iOS7" as an anwser (e.g. http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ios-7 )

I don't think it makes a difference whether or not you want to be a troll when you're writing troll comments.

I see what you did there.

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#38

Post by snowwrestler »

vacri wrote: post #35
snowwrestler wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people are motivated by more than money. Working in product development at a place like Apple, or Google, or Amazon, etc, gives you a chance to work with very smart, accomplished people. It gives you license to do great work and maybe push some envelopes with what is possible in your field. It gives you a platform to have a major impact on society. It makes other people say "wow" when they hear where you work, o…

It gives you a platform to have a major impact on society. Major? Can you give some examples where a line engineer at one of the big companies has personally done something through their work that has had a major impact on society? "Wow, you work at a cool place" is small talk and prestige, not something that has a societal impact; something that inherently changes the way people interact with and/or perceive each ot…

You don't think Google search or iPhone have had a major impact on society?

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#39

Post by snowwrestler »

fruithunter wrote: post #27
snowwrestler wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people are motivated by more than money. Working in product development at a place like Apple, or Google, or Amazon, etc, gives you a chance to work with very smart, accomplished people. It gives you license to do great work and maybe push some envelopes with what is possible in your field. It gives you a platform to have a major impact on society. It makes other people say "wow" when they hear where you work, o…

"Busting her ass at Apple for 6 years might set up a young designer to get taken very seriously if she decides to move to another company, or start her own." No. Don't take a job under the premise that it has good experience and will set you up for a later higher paying job with another company. That's a a myth. Get better at negotiating your salary now . You should never take the mindset to to defer your salary in e…

You're creating a false dichotomy. One can be good at negotiating salary and still choose a job that comes with high demands.

It's obviously not a myth that each job can help you get the next. Else why does anyone prepare a resume? Or do an internship?

Re: Myths About Apple Design, From An Ex-Apple Designer

#40

Post by vacri »

snowwrestler wrote: post #38
vacri wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It gives you a platform to have a major impact on society. Major? Can you give some examples where a line engineer at one of the big companies has personally done something through their work that has had a major impact on society? "Wow, you work at a cool place" is small talk and prestige, not something that has a societal impact; something that inherently changes the way people interact with and/or perceive each ot…

You don't think Google search or iPhone have had a major impact on society?

Sure I do. I just don't think that the fundamental parts of those products that has that major impact were the brainchild of line engineers.
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