“Steve Jobs wouldn’t have done that.”

In the last two years I think we have all seen this line from time to time. Everytime Apple does anything, they have a large number of people who disagree with them. Almost every article following Steve’s death talked about the possibility of the death of Apple’s design roots or ability to design amazing products.

I read these articles and they exhaust me.

When someone uses that sentence, I don’t think they are aware of how it comes off. It sounds like they are trying to brag about their sense of style. By invoking what Steve Jobs would have done, it sounds like they are saying “I have as much taste as Steve Jobs and I represent him after death by complaining about the same things he would have complained about.”

You don’t represent Steve Jobs. That isn’t how it works.

If you don’t think something is well designed, say so and back it up with a better design. Do not drag a dead person into the conversation as support and speak for them. That is just bad taste.

Winston Churchill would have loved this blog post.