Apple has shared a new video titled “Design is how it works,” echoing Steve Jobs’ timeless belief that great design isn’t about decoration, it’s about function. The video, which first opened last month’s iPhone keynote, now stands alone on Apple’s YouTube channel, serving as a reminder of the company’s enduring design values.
The Essence of Design
The short film begins with Jobs’ quote: “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” That statement captures Apple’s guiding principle for two decades. Design should make technology invisible. Each sound and frame represents the way Apple designs around human behavior, not just hardware aesthetics. Around the same time, we mark 14 years since Steve Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011.
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Meaning Behind the Message
Critics questioned Apple’s choice to evoke Jobs’ legacy while the company continues to overhaul iOS visuals and icons. But the intent seems broader. The narration and imagery shift attention from color palettes to experience. Apple reminds viewers that design happens in moments, how a gesture feels natural, how an animation communicates purpose, how a device fades into daily life.
A Reflection of Apple’s Identity
The video doesn’t sell a product. It sells belief. And for Apple, that belief remains unchanged since Jobs first defined it: true design works.
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