We’ve been searching for a great Apple coffee table book, and Apple Design ($38) from German publisher Hatje Cantz looks like just what the doctor ordered. It’s a history and explanation of the company’s design principles, presented in a large hardcover layout. The 320-page tome doesn’t go all the way back to the company’s earliest products, but rather focuses on Jony Ive’s work—arguably the best and most important products in Apple’s storied history.
The volume features over three hundred designs, ranging from the Bondi Blue iMac to the iPad and more. For each, there are pictures and text explaining why the designs are important and how they’ve impacted the world of design as a whole. Given the book’s German roots, it’s no surprise that there’s also a discussion of Dieter Rams and his Ten Rules for Good Design, known inspirations for Ive’s work.
