Apple has just announced the release of a new Photo Book – Designed by Apple in California, chronicling 20 years of Apple design.

This book, dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs, expresses the story of Apple Design through 450 photographs of past and current Apple Products.  Covering products from 1998’s iMac to 2015’s Apple pencil, it also documents specific materials and techniques used by Apple’s design team in over two decades of innovation.

Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design Officer explains,

“The idea of genuinely tying to make something great for humanity was Steve’s motivation from the beginning, and it remains both our ideal and our goal as Apple looks to the future”.

He further explains that this Photo Book intends to bring understanding to how and why Apple exist, while serving as a resource for students of all design disciples.

Shot by Photographer Andrew Zuckerman in Apple’s trademark simplistic style – the book’s 450 images illustrate Apple’s design process piece by piece, as well as its finished products.

Now, here at Shoreditch Repairs we understand the unglamorous process of taking apart apple products, but Andrew Zuckerman manages to turn the messy act into minimalistic glamour shots.

In the book’s forewords, Ive writes,

“While this is a design book, it is not about the design team, the creative process or product development. It is an objective representation of our work that, ironically, describes who we are. It describes how we work, our values, our preoccupations and our goals. We have always hoped to be defined by what we do rather than by what we say.

We strive, with varying degrees of success, to define objects that appear effortless. Objects that appear so simple, coherent and inevitable that there could be no rational alternative.”

“Designed by Apple in California”, developed over an eight-year period of time, is available in two sizes, with the small starting at $199 (US) and large at $299 (US).

As expected of Apple – the book itself is pretty unique,  printed on “specially milled, custom-dyed paper with gilded matte silver edges, using eight color separations and low-ghost ink”.

Now before your jaws drop at the price, it is safe to point out that similar Coffee-table style Photo Books from lesser-known designers, retail at similar prices.

One of the main reasons Apple shot to fame was due to their uniquely functional and effortless style, unlike any product out there at the time. In my opinion, this series really embodies this aspect of Apple’s branding – simple, beautiful, and functional.  Apple’s design has always spoken for itself, and now there’s a book that will remind you of that.

Will any of you be purchasing the book? I can think of a few people that would be happy receiving this come Christmas morning.