Paying Tribute to Steve Jobs

Some folks here at Knotice share their thoughts on the passing of Steve Jobs.

“Thank you Steve Jobs for giving us parents the greatest tool of all times – The Tantrum Blocker, aka iphone/ipod/ipad/Toy Story. You will be missed but never be forgotten .” – Anitha Monippallil

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Steve Jobs impacted me, not only in the products he helped bring to market, but the innovations he inspired within his company regarding process and user experience. In my career, as a user experience strategist, Apple’s interfaces, and human interaction methods have been the standard by which all others aspire. From the original, revolutionary iMac, to the modern and almost incomprehensibly cool iPad/iPhone lineup, Steve Jobs helped to shape the culture and business practices of an entire generation, worldwide.

I tell this story every opportunity I get. When Apple introduced iDVD, they had purchased the company that developed the software platform they needed to provide the functionality. When the big meeting came for Steve Jobs to review the capabilities and recommended interfaces that the team had developed, they all got into a big room and placed all of their intricate interface designs, specifications documents, and user experience research all on the walls and prepared to wow Steve with their technical expertise and attention to detail.

When Steve Jobs got to the meeting, he looked around for a minute, then got up and walked to the board. Grabbed a dry erase marker and drew a box. He looked at the audience and said, “This is your interface” pointing to the empty box. He then drew a smaller file folder on the outside of that box. “This is the file you want to make into a DVD” pointing to the smaller file folder. He then drew an arrow from the small file folder to the box indicating the functionality, which is that you simply drag the file over the interface and drop it in. And then he walked out the door. The company was stunned and inspired, and the result is excellent.

The genius of Steve Jobs was not just in the technology he created or the products he developed; it was the method with which he packaged that technology and presented it the consumers, and I will forever be inspired by that. – Brent Williams
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I’d like to share a quote from Steve Jobs: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” This is why I work at Knotice, because it is a great place to work and I really do love my job. – Scott Cooper
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Steve Jobs was a man far ahead of his time, and in some ways I think, a man who was “otherworldly.” My deepest thoughts and prayers are with Steve’s family, friends and Apple associates. I remember my first foray into desktop publishing while working at an automotive trade publishing firm in 1985. The ease of transitioning from a world of typewriters, key lines and typesetting to the freedom of creating a publication electronically in half the production time amazed me then, and still amazes me to this day. It was my first introduction to a Macintosh computer and it was love at first sight.

I wish all the folks at Apple great success in the next chapter of the company’s growth. I sincerely hope they can carry the heavy burden of the visionary thinking Steve Jobs possessed. I will remain indebted to what Steve Jobs has personally meant to me in introducing me to the world of computers and electronic technology in general. – Sandie Hampton
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From an inspiration standpoint to me, I wanted to pass this along: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc. I’ve watched it more than a few times over the years, and always found it a nice video to have on hand. – Steve Lehner
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I got the first iPhone on the first day it was released in 2007. Since that time, I have used my iPhone to take pretty much every picture and film every video of my family. When I look at those pictures (in iPhoto, of course) or watch the movies (in iMovie or Quicktime), I have Steve Jobs to thank. When I share those memories with my family through a quick text from my iPhone or over the MobileMe service, they have Steve Jobs to thank. When I can connect with distant friends and family members over iChat or FaceTime, we have Steve Jobs to thank. Steve’s technology has changed the world but it has touched me and my family in a very personal way.

One other observation… The Steve Jobs magic extended far beyond his amazing products. The entire company is infused with an energy and passion to provide the best customer experience possible. I had the privilege of working at an Apple Store for nine months and it was one of the best experiences of my life because the people I met there were incredible. Apple has notoriously tough hiring standards and it certainly showed in the quality of the people I called co-workers and friends. We were passionate about our jobs, not just because that’s the kind of people we were, but because we were dedicated to the company and, ultimately, to Steve. He didn’t just create special products, he created a special company and his influence and energy were felt daily by everyone in the company. – Lori Grim
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I just found him to be a good person, who cared about the world in which he lived and hoped to make it better. It’s nice to know there are people out there with more money than they know what do with and yet they still have an inherent need to do better for the world and give back. He refused to stay stagnant and hold technology back for the sake of a dollar or hardships. I think that is his vision and legacy, more than just his technological vision and advancements. That is inspiring. That should hopefully help to drive more businesses – driving humanity forward, not just the bottom line. – Andi Bordick
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My personal favorite Jobsism…”Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.” My second favorite…hell…they could be tied… “’If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. – Brian Deagan

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He was so right in his understanding and application of elemental things, which made his products/company great and allowed him to be happy in his work. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” In hindsight, though I didn’t reference Steve on my decision, this describes well how I ended up at Knotice.

Additionally, mobility as a resource/channel for the masses was essentially invented with the iPhone. So many futurists had our brains plugged into mainframes, wearing special helmets to accomplish the things that today are a swipe/zoom/scroll away with mobile computing/mobile phones. – Dave Lawson
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Inspired by a calligraphy class, Steve Jobs gave us digital fonts. And for that, I am grateful. – Patti Renner
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It is very hard to sum up what losing a visionary like Jobs means, especially for a creative person like me, one who can remember his first PhotoShop project in high school on a power Macintosh 5500 in 1996 on Adobe Photoshop 3… Simply put: Think Different. – Todd Fleming
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I’m new to the industry, so originally, I only knew him as the “apple man” but reading about his death I have come across him to be much more. My favorite quote is this: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. – Mandy Gordon
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Please feel free to share your thoughts below.