John Maeda wrote a short article for Huffington Post about simplicity and humanizing design, what it has meant for the software developed on Apple products, and what it means for the future.
The respect so many designers have for Apple is possibly bourne out of reverence for the philosophies that lead to reduction, simplicity, and the humanizing of user interfaces. Maeda talks about Jonathan Ive in this regard, citing his ability to make something real and human by getting his hands dirty. These people, he says, are the ones who will drive creativity and innovation in what they do.
Maeda's take on the future of design seems to be that the national emphasis on left-brain thinking alone will not be enough to drive economic development.
You can read more at Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-maeda/technology-design-apple_b_291748.html