There is a brief but insightful interview with Jonathan Ive of Apple in The London Evening Standard today. My favorite part:
Q: Users have become obsessively attached to Apple products. Why?
A: When I used a Mac I had a keen awareness of the values of those who made it. I think people’s emotional connection to our product is that they sense our care, and the amount of work that has gone into creating it.
One of our highest goals as a design agency is to communicate the values of our clients to their audience. When we achieve that, we feel the most successful.