Steve Jobs and John allowed design teams to butt heads and have more of a leading role in product design, which required engineering teams to accommodate and compromise, for design goals.
Apple’s design is rooted in Bauhaus design concepts.
This design first thinking lead to the intention of humanising the technology — apple’s use of transparent iMac’s resonated through the industry, and was then followed in suit by many other companies (gameboys etc).
Steve called Jony his “spiritual partner at Apple” — his opinion was well respected as one of, if not it’s leading second voice at the company.
Jony conceptualised the iPhone model, with an “infinity pool type design to the display” privately to Steve as to avoid having the idea stifled by engineering.
He was even knighted!
He created his own company, which for some time contracted for apple but they have since parted ways.