Apple has a deep culture when it comes to design and work ethic, built on thirty years of developing the “best in the industry”. One of the ways to keep this culture alive is through an internal training program, one where Apple teaches Picasso’s ideas of simplicity, among other great designers.
The internal training program, like many things at Apple’s HQ, remains a trade secret for the most part. Apple does not like discussing work and will not provide any teachers on the program, meaning the only sources come from previous Apple employees.
Most companies offer an internal training program, the level of intensity differs company by company. Comcast is known for aggressive tactics and pushes this work ethic on their work-force, while Apple focuses more on creativity.
Picasso is a very notable designer, especially in the context of simplicity. The drive to make sure every part of a device is essential removes clutter and excess, something that can be seen in various evolution states.
The Mac, iPhone, iPod and even the mouse are all products with changes in design to fix core simplicity issues. The removal of buttons, wires, holes, screws and anything else adds to the elegance and beauty of the device, at least in Apple’s world.
This design theory has been attacked, especially when it comes to software. The lack of buttons, functions and changes leads to restrictive software. The same can be said with hardware, Apple has always been restrictive as to what users can and can’t touch.
Apple’s ideas appear to be changing with Tim Cook in charge, opening devices up to more customisation, on a hardware and software level. This could break traditional Apple, but in return we might get a perfect mix of simplicity and exploration.
