Apple’s former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive shared the twelve most important tools that he uses when creating, measuring, or jotting down.
His choices come from the latest issue of ‘How to Spend It’, a series from The Financial Times where the publication takes a well-known public figure and asks them for recommendations on what people should buy.
If you don’t know who Jony Ive is, as Apple's former design lead, he gave the world some of the company’s most iconic products, designing the original iMac, iPod, and iPhone, just to name a few.
Full list of gadgets
Going down the list, Jony Ive’s choices are ostentatious, to say the least. Most are either expensive versions of common household items or some kind of specialty tool.
The list is as follows:
- Torque wrench
- Tonearm
- Hex keys
- Paper folder
- Measuring Tape
- Loupe
- Fountain pen
- Eraser
- Pencil case
- Protractor
- Depth gauge
- Weather station
However, while the list might seem fairly innocuous (bordering on the dull for those that were hoping he'd say 'a glowing bear with extendable legs' or something) it's the prices and sources of the products that make this such an interesting list - head over to the FT's beautifully-illustrated breakdown to gasp a little.
Ive doesn’t say why he chose so many different types of tools for his eclectic collection, but in a related “How to Spend It” piece, he gives some indication. Simply put, he just like tools and the way they look.
Ive states “There’s a beauty and a joy in the machines and tools. …I think there’s an inherent elegance in an effective tool that normally results in a curious beauty.” These were certainly interesting choices from the man who played a major role in making Apple what it is today.
Departure from Apple
Despite being a major force at Apple, Jony Ive left the company in 2019 due to clashes with upper management and CEO Tim Cook. Ive wanted to continue making aesthetically-pleasing products, but the company wanted to focus more on the business side of things.
Today, Jony Ive has created his own creative firm called LoveFrom, where he designs products for clients. Funnily enough, his first client after establishing his firm was Apple.
