Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products
If you're looking for the essential, comprehensive biography, this is it. Written by veteran Apple journalist Leander Kahney, this book traces Ive's journey from his early days as a British design student to becoming one of the most powerful executives
at Apple. It provides a detailed account of his collaborative relationship with Steve Jobs and the creation of iconic products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. The book argues that Apple's monumental success was built on a foundation of great design, a principle Ive championed. It’s a fantastic starting point for understanding the man and his immense influence, detailing how his design philosophy was not just about aesthetics but about making technology feel human and intuitive.
After Steve: How Apple Became a Trillion-Dollar Company and Lost Its Soul
This book, by technology reporter Tripp Mickle, isn't exclusively about Jony Ive, but he is a central character in the drama of post-Jobs Apple. It frames the company's evolution through the diverging paths of its two most important figures after Jobs's death: CEO Tim Cook and Ive. Mickle suggests that as Apple shifted focus from product innovation to operational excellence and services, a culture clash emerged. The book details Ive's growing frustration and eventual departure, providing critical context for his final years at the company he helped rebuild. It’s a compelling read for anyone interested in the tension between creativity and corporate strategy at the highest level.
Designed by Apple in California
This isn't a book about Jony Ive, but rather a book by him and his team. Published by Apple itself, this large, linen-bound coffee table book is a visual archive of 20 years of Apple design, featuring 450 photographs of products from the 1998 iMac to the 2015 Apple Pencil. In the foreword, Ive explains that the book is an “objective representation of our work that, ironically, describes who we are.” While light on text, the stark, beautifully shot images document the materials, processes, and obsessive attention to detail that defined Ive's tenure. It serves as a primary source, a silent testament to a design philosophy that aimed to create objects that feel “so simple, coherent and inevitable that there could be no rational alternative.”
Bonus: Books on His Influences
To truly understand Ive's work, it’s helpful to explore the designers who influenced him. One of the most significant is Dieter Rams, the legendary German industrial designer for the company Braun. Books like “Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible” showcase a philosophy that heavily inspired Ive’s own approach: a belief in honest, unobtrusive, and long-lasting design. Reading about Rams provides a direct line to the principles that would eventually shape the products in millions of people's pockets and on their desks. Exploring the roots of his minimalist aesthetic reveals that while Ive’s work felt revolutionary, it was part of a rich and thoughtful design tradition.
