Apple and Steve Jobs: Masters of Product Design and Theater

I suppose it says something about my level of geekiness (in every positive sense of the word) that last night I went home and spent the evening watching the video of Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynote speech. At roughly two hours, the speech represented a time investment equal to that of a feature-length movie. And it was worth every second.

I came away from watching the keynote with a firm conviction that Jobs and Apple not only are masters of product design, but also of theater. Presentations using images or slides projected on a giant screen can be boring or mediocre—yet the Macworld keynote was anything but that.

Perhaps my favorite moment in the presentation was the brief pause after Jobs outlined Apple TV and before he launched into the iPhone. A hush fell over the hall as a giant Apple logo, with light streaming from behind it, was displayed on screen. Jobs let several seconds of silence pass. You could feel the anticipation in the room; something big was coming.

The whole presentation up to this point had served to heighten the anticipation. Apple TV was cool and exciting, but it was just the trailer, the appetizer. Everyone expected the TV announcement, and anyone who had seen Jobs speak before probably knew that he wouldn’t spill the big beans right at the start.

I absolutely loved how Jobs and Apple chose to present iPhone—first implying that the company was launching three revolutionary products, and then by combining the logos for each (widescreen iPod with touch controls, revolutionary mobile phone, breakthrough Internet communication device) into a box and spinning that box around to show each side in turn until the audience got it and reacted with a combination of laughter, cheering and clapping.

That was a great moment. I wasn’t at Macworld, but I was transported there, back to that moment, simply by watching a somewhat grainy, streaming video of Jobs’ speech. Great theater, indeed.

Jobs’ skill at working the crowd was brought home by a study in contrasts when the CEOs of Google, Yahoo! and Cingular took the stage one by one to outline their iPhone-related partnerships with Apple. While each of these men adequately conveyed their information, none could hold a candle to the excitement Jobs garnered. You could almost feel the audience patiently waiting for Jobs to return to the spotlight.

If you haven’t watched Jobs’ speech yet, I urge you to do so. Even if you are lukewarm in your enthusiasm for iPhone, its still a very entertaining presentation. After you watch, let me know what you think.





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The thing about Jobs – and this is what sets him apart with many other guys (and, what sets his product apart) – is that he is genuinely passionate about what he does, his product, and IT in general. From the first page of his book, his passion to ACTUALLY make a difference with his products is evident. This is why they always push the borders of what can be done – Jobs wants to build the future. Other guys are merely doing a job (some of them are passionate, yes, but not passionate about the future as much as they are about their product or their own status.)
Jobs is different. Would love to work for the guy!

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