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The Funniest Part in Isaacson’s Biography of Steve Jobs

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I’ve been meaning to blog this for two years now. From Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs:

Even when he was barely conscious, his strong personality came through. At one point the pulmonologist tried to put a mask over his face when he was deeply sedated. Jobs ripped it off and mumbled that he hated the design and refused to wear it. Though barely able to speak, he ordered them to bring five different options for the mask and he would pick a design he liked. The doctors looked at Powell, puzzled. She was finally able to distract him so they could put on the mask.

He also hated the oxygen monitor they put on his finger. He told them it was ugly and too complex. He suggested ways it could be designed more simply. “He was very attuned to every nuance of the environment and objects around him, and that drained him,” Powell recalled.

That is absolutely hilarious. Here is Steve Jobs, barely conscience and virtually fighting for his life, and he asks the doctors to bring in five different options for the oxygen mask because he doesn’t like it’s design. Hilarious!

And, awesome.

The Business of Design

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Good design is good business. This is starting to be recognized more and more, but there is still a long ways to go for the importance of good design to truly take root.

This is a helpful Fast Company article from 2005 on how “in a global economy, elegant design is becoming a critical competitive advantage. Trouble is, most business folks don’t think like designers.” It shows how design-oriented companies think and operate, and why this matters.

And, this is relevant not just for businesses, but churches, ministries, and all non-profits. Good design matters because people are emotional as well as rationale. To care only about the utility of a product is to fail to treat people holistically. (And, interestingly, the result is most often less helpful products as well.)

The Value of Design

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Well stated, from a Time article from a few years ago (but still very relevant):

Most high-tech companies don’t take design seriously. They treat it as an afterthought. Window-dressing.

But one of [Steve] Jobs’ basic insights about technology is that good design is actually as important as good technology.

All the cool features in the world won’t do you any good unless you can figure out how to use said features, and feel smart and attractive while doing it.