Moving fast vs Moving thoughtfully. A design legend’s take

“I have no interest in breaking stuff for the sake of breaking stuff. I think breaking stuff and moving on quickly... leaves us surrounded by carnage…”

In today's AI-augmented environment, when the drive to "move fast" is highlighted as a path to innovation and remaining competitive, this quote from Sir Jony Ive serves as a powerful counterpoint. (If you're not familiar, Sir Jony Ive is the design legend known for his pivotal role in creating iconic products like the iPod, iPhone, and iMac at Apple)

Speaking at a recent event with Stripe's CEO (well known for his deep-rooted focus on design), Ive shared his perspective that building with true craft, care, and intentionality goes beyond simply meeting functional requirements or business metrics. For Ive, it is fundamentally about fulfilling a responsibility towards our customers and is deeply connected to a place of spirituality and gratitude for the opportunity to serve others. 

Here are five key takeaways from the discussion, highly relevant for anyone building products today:

1. What we make shows who we are and reflects our values and goals

2. Real innovation is not “being different for the sake of being different” but something that moves humanity forward

3. Make your users feel special so they think “somebody gave a shit about me”

4. Don’t only measure the measurable - Qualities like making something "delightful to use" are equally, if not more, important

5. True craft cares about everything, even the unseen. A powerful marker of who we truly are is "what we do when/where no one sees"

In all humility, Ive by no means dismissed the need to "move things forward" or innovate, but challenged the idea that innovation is merely "being different or breaking stuff". 

This is a powerful call to infuse our building process – from design to engineering – with genuine care for the people we aim to serve. 

Video link 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLb9g_8r-mE