Jony Ive left Apple in 2019 to start his own design firm, LoveFrom, and four years later we’re getting a look at the firm’s first hardware project: a turntable.
The product, the $60,000 Sondek LP12-50, is a limited-edition record player designed by Ive’s firm in conjunction with the British audio company Linn.
In an interview with Fast Company, Ive describes the project as “a very gentle and modest project for us that was really motivated by our love and respect for Linn.” Linn is known for its modular design that allows customers to mix, match,and upgrade parts over time.
(Credit: Linn)LoveFrom completed the work pro bono, something Ive says is the point of the firm—to be able to take on projects for the craft alone rather than the monetary benefits of it. (He's probably not hurting for cash after so many years at Apple.)
“There are many things that I’ve always wanted to be able to do purely for the love of doing them,” Ive tells Fast Company. “And there’s a substantial percentage of our work which we do purely for the love of doing it.”
Ive’s firm came to work with Linn in a slightly unconventional way: Ive’s assistant sent the company’s CEO, Gilad Tiefenbrun, a message on LinkedIn. Tiefenbrun initially trashed the message thinking it was spam, but eventually fished it out and responded.
At the time, Ive, who is a long-time fan of the brand, was simply looking to purchase a turntable. However, as the two talked, Tiefenbrun mentioned the brand’s upcoming 50th anniversary, and a desire to potentially work with Ive. Ive thought on it overnight, and by the morning had sent Tiefenbrun a message saying he’d love to work together on a special edition.
To design the turntable, Ive had to work within some tight boundaries, given that much of the product’s design also impacts its audio quality. While the LP12-50 shares many design elements with the LP12, the 50th Anniversary version includes a new power button and custom hinge as well as smooth rounded corners in the place of former squared-off components. Only 250 of the $60,000 turntables will be sold.
(Credit: Linn)Ive notes that the project in a way allowed him to travel full circle, given the first musical device he designed was the iPod. Ive was the head of Apple’s hardware design team for over three decades and was responsible for the design of many of the company’s iconic products including the iPod, iPad, and MacBook line.
While the LP12-50 is the firm's first hardware project, the company has contracts with both Airbnb and Ferrari and has created its own typeface as well as even a red nose, for "Red Nose Day," among other products since its inception.
