John Gruber is best known for his Apple Computer-centric blog Daring Fireball, but he’s also a pretty astute design critic. In this 15 minute talk he makes a link between auteur filmmaking and the software design process.

In film, directors like Kubrick, Hitchcock, and Kurasawa were able to have extreme levels of control on their work, creating extremely personal and opinionated films.

The most prominent example of this in the design world may be Apple Computer, which reportedly follows the whims and desires of CEO Steve Jobs. As a friend who works for Apple’s rival Microsoft once put it: “Microsoft tries to please everybody, but Apple tries to please one person: Jobs”. If one happens to share Jobs’ tastes, a Mac will be perfect for you, if not, go somewhere else.

Tags: Design