10 Elegant Product Designs, Not By Apple
Apple has made elegant design its calling card, but other companies can create gorgeous things, too.
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Apple says exceptional design is the essence of its products, and not without reason. Over the years, its products have stood out for being attractive, well crafted, and easy to use.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Apple's competitors -- the makers of Windows computers -- only underscored Apple's distinctiveness by continuing to produce utilitarian beige boxes. When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs returned to lead Apple in the late 1990s and launched the candy-colored iMac line and the Think Different ad campaign, the company was struggling. Microsoft and its Windows partners saw no reason to worry, except that Apple might fail and complicate Microsoft's antitrust situation.
But Jobs's faith in the distinctiveness of Apple products and his vision for the company led Apple to create technology products that were both beautiful and functional. His focus on premium design, given form by Apple senior VP of design Jony Ive, led to luxurious margins and healthy earnings until his own health gave out three years ago.
Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has continued to focus on design as if it owned the concept. "A truly great product is ultimately defined by the integration of its hardware and software," declares Ive in the video introducing the company's iPhone 6. Ive also narrated the video introducing the Apple Watch, a product due early next year that's hugely dependent on design.
A few years ago, it might have been Apple senior VP of marketing Phil Schiller telling this story. But Apple is doubling down on design -- on aesthetics, form, and function -- as the thing that differentiates its products from the competition. Apple has become both a technology company and a luxury goods company.
The problem Apple faces is that other companies have caught on. Sony understood the value of design early on, but struggled with other issues, like lackluster leadership and its failure to understand the value of controlling both software and hardware. Now Amazon, Google, and Microsoft -- through its own struggles and the acquisition of Nokia's mobile business -- appear to have learned from what Apple has done right and are showing themselves to be capable of elegant product design. And the platform companies are not alone. Mobile hardware companies like Samsung and Xiaomi have recognized the need to focus on design to distinguish their products, because Android has commoditized the software layer.
The shift toward mobile devices and the computerization of everyday objects only amplifies the importance of design. Back when computers were machines for the technically savvy, users were expected to spend hours manually updating software and drivers; computers were expected to be painful to operate. Today, ease of use and the user experience are paramount; no one will tolerate a mobile phone that is confusing or an Internet-connected thermostat that requires a detailed manual.
Fine design, particularly in the aesthetic sense, has been essential for luxury brands since long before Apple was founded. While Apple may have been instrumental in demonstrating the value of great design in the computer industry, it no longer has a monopoly on beautiful, well engineered technology products.
What follow are a few things, mostly technology products, that demonstrate great design.
The Tesla Dual Motor Model S is one of the best cars you can buy right now. It's not without its limitations, but it's a brilliant piece of engineering and a beautiful, high-tech automobile. Oh, and its new Autopilot system allows the car to drive itself in certain situations.
Samsung may stand accused of copying Apple's iPhone, but who didn't? The thing is, Samsung is quite capable of exceptional design on its own. Consider Samsung's Neo Retro Oven for Russia. Unlike too many modern appliances that glitter with LED screens and awkward controls, the Neo Retro Oven is spare and lovely.
Microsoft may get a lot of flack for having missed the mobile revolution, but it's recovering. Its Surface Pro 3 turns out to be an appealing, well designed tablet that can also replace your laptop, so long as you're not a gamer. If you're wedded to Windows, it's a no-brainer.
Google's new Motorola-made Nexus 6 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, and it's a sweet little phone. Actually, with its 5.96-inch screen, it's more of a sweet big phone. Pre-orders begin on October 29, and the phone is expected to ship next month. Apple's iPhone 6 has some capable competition.
The Leica X is one sharp-looking camera. And it's capable of taking sharp-looking pictures, with a Leica Summilux 23-mm f/1.7 aspherical lens and a 16-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor. The price is steep, around $2,300, but good looks and great images don't come cheap.
The Bēm Wireless Kickstand is an eminently portable projector. It comes with a cleverly designed anodized aluminum kickstand carrier. Measuring 9.84" by 7.56" and weighing only 1.82 lb., you may not mind toting it around.
Great design often means looking backward. Ellusionist's Vintage Series 1800 Playing Cards exemplify that principle. This faux-distressed deck looks as if it was unearthed during the renovation of a Victorian saloon. The only technology here is time-travel and sophisticated printing.
Let's face it, flippers are one step away from clown shoes. But Speedo's Nemesis Fins -- don't you dare call them flippers -- look edgy rather than comical. Who knows, maybe the sharks will have second thoughts when they see you thrashing about.
The Nitecore Titanium Pen bills itself as more than just a writing implement. It's designed to break windows, in case you ever find yourself in a sinking car, and to function as a self-defense weapon. Maybe it will help you prove that the pen is mightier than the sword.
The Breville Smart Waffle Maker deserves mention, not only because of its quality construction and thoughtful design elements like the wrap-around batter moat, but because it has "Waffle IQ," a technology so advanced it could be mistaken for magic, if you weren't sober. The next time anyone gloats about having a smart refrigerator, feel free to humble the braggart by hauling out your genius waffle iron.
The Breville Smart Waffle Maker deserves mention, not only because of its quality construction and thoughtful design elements like the wrap-around batter moat, but because it has "Waffle IQ," a technology so advanced it could be mistaken for magic, if you weren't sober. The next time anyone gloats about having a smart refrigerator, feel free to humble the braggart by hauling out your genius waffle iron.
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