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**Question: Describe the unusual business model used in the iPod's fabrication as developed by Apple.** Apple is known for using a ‘design chain approach’. This business model involves more than one company in the manufacturing process. The main goal of apple is to achieve the highest quality products where cost and time to produce the product are of high importance. Many outside companies were involved in the creation of the iPod. In terms of the platform and reference design, Apple relied on a third-party design by PortalPlayer. The members of the sub-chain design cannot comment on their work with Apple, thus the mystery of the magnificent design remains silent. **Question: What distinguishes the work of the team of Jobs and Ive in relation to products designed by Apple? What new materials are enabling different design?** What Apple stands by is the ‘ease and simplicity’ of use of their products. However, they also focus heavily on the look of products, creating visually appealing merchandise that appears to be different from other products in the market. Jobs and Ive pay a great amount of attention to detail, often referencing other physical objects in some of their unique designs. New ways of using plastic enables a different design that wasn’t possible in the past. Also, through a process called ‘twin shooting materials’ they are able to mould different plastics together which gives them the power to focus on the design and not having to think about function. The plastic moulding opens new doors to the creation of products. **Question: Describe the importance of Apple's design team. Are other companies trying to compete with Apple by creating their own design teams?**

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The Apple’s design team is relatively small, consisting of about a dozen 30 and 40 year olds – most of whom have been with company for many years. They have all worked closely together and in such privacy that a lot of Apple employees are not allowed into the studio. They also work closely with engineers, marketers and manufacturers, immersing themselves in the production process. Companies such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft are starting to talk of having design teams, however, they are far behind Apple in that respect. =====

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 * **http://www.designchain.com/testprint.asp?issue=summer02&template=coverstory****************************
 * http://www.designmuseum.org/design/jonathan-ive**
 * [|http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_39/b4002414.htm>]