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"It's all about removing the unnecessary," Jonathan Ive has said of the ethos that informs his landmark product designs for Apple Computer. Ive has stripped the complexity out of technology and moved Apple's products--and with them, much of the high-tech industry--toward what he calls the "utterly serene." His translucent Power Mac G4 Cube, which resembled postmodern sculpture more than office equipment, proved that computer design could even aspire to high art. But nothing better fulfills Ive's ambition to create elegant, intuitive machinery than his revolutionary design for the iPod MP3 player. Coveted as much as a fashion statement as for its utility, this ode to minimalism has redefined the way consumers experience technology, to say nothing of music. Dell and Samsung have vainly followed with their own iPod knockoffs, proving conclusively that Ive's influence runs deep.

Peak Performers: Four masters who are leading the world of design

• J Mays, VP of Global Design, Ford Motor Co.
• David Kelley, Founder and Chairman, IDEO
• David Macaulay, Author and Illustrator
• Burt Rutan, Founder, President, and CEO, Scaled Composites

Impact Players: Four high-impact projects that shaped the year in design--and the people who launched them

• William McDonough, Principal and founder, William McDonough + Partners
• Tom Ford , Former Creative Director, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent
• Jonathan Ive, Vice President of Industrial Design, Apple Computer Inc.
• Marcia Lausen, Founding member, AIGA Design for Democracy

Game Changers: The risk takers and agitators who are rewriting the rules

• Adrian Van Hooydonk, President, DesignworksUSA
• Maurice Cox, Mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia
• John Maeda, Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, MIT
• Arnold Wasserman, Chairman, The Idea Factory

Collaborators: Champions who help make great design happen

• Robyn Waters, Founder and president of RW Trend, LLC
• Kun-Hee Lee, Chairman and CEO, Samsung electronics
• Sam Farber, Founder, Copco, OXO, and Wovo
• Bob Porter, Executive Vice President, SSM Health Care

Next Generation: Meet four rising stars who are charting the future

• Yves Behar, Founder, fuseproject
• Kathleen Brandenburg, Principal and Cofounder, IA Collaborative
• Geoff McFetridge, Founder, Champion Graphics
• Angela Shen-Hsieh, President and CEO, Visual i/o

A Jury of Their Peers

Introducing 11 jurors--top leaders from universities, cultural institutions, and business--who helped us select our 20 Masters of Design.

Lessons From the Masters

These five ideas will help you incorporate design principles in your work -- and better connect with customers and colleagues.