Apple design guru Jony Ive, the man behind the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, as well as several generations of Macs, recently talked to the London Evening Standard about how competitors' attempts to replicate Apple's success in industrial design have gone wrong.

"Most of our competitors are interesting in doing something different, or want to appear new - I think those are completely the wrong goals," Ive said, "A product has to be genuinely better."

Although Ive didn't name any names, he had stern words for companies who let marketing drive their design decisions, instead of the other way around.

"It's not about price, schedule or a bizarre marketing goal to appear different - they are corporate goals with scant regard for people who use the product," he said.

Apple's focus on design has been well-publicized. Before his death, Steve Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson that he had made sure Ive would have more "operation power" at the company than anyone else, other than CEO Tim Cook.

That plan seems to be working out for Apple, whose stock broke $500 a share for the first time last month.

It seems to be working out for Ive, as well. He's won several industry awards for his work at Apple, and recently received a knighthood for his contributions to design.

[slashgear]