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# Joy, humour, and caring: Jony Ive & Patrick Collison in conversation
- URL: https://www.howardgray.net/joy-humour-and-caring-jony-ive-patrick-collison-in-conversation/
- Published: 2025-05-06T18:55:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-24T17:29:54.000Z
- Description: Why joy and humor are underestimated in design and business... and the magic of making breakfast for each other vs. sitting in conference rooms
- Author: Howard Gray
- Tags: Creative Business

I find myself quite allergic to much of the Silicon Valley tech scene: the posturing, the co-opting of terms, the double talking. But this weekend I found an antidote.

Jony Ive and Patrick Collison spoke at Stripe's conference - a breath of fresh air in our hyperventilating tech world. A nice reminder that you don't need to be a bombastic sociopath to be successful.

Their conversation has a meditative quality - a quiet call to action for those making things deliberately, with joy, empowering others, creating little moments.

Topics include:

- Why joy and humor are underestimated in design and business
- Prioritizing the user's evolving nature as a person
- The magic of making breakfast for each other vs sitting in conference rooms

Two quotes that stayed with me:

> "Simplicity is trying to succinctly express the essence of something, its purpose and role in our life."

> "If you care about each other, you might just be in danger of listening… what kills most ideas is people desperate to share an opinion."

If I can take one thing: **Good design tells people you care about them.**

And remember, you can design almost anything: an email, a meal, a meeting. It's not reserved for the special ones.

If you're producing any kind of creative work, please watch this. I don't say that lightly.

P.S. Like a good sports referee, Patrick is a masterful interviewer you barely notice. And the final minute of the 60 is the best of all.