Jobs was an odd character, a sort of charismatic leader who had devoted followers, led religious-like presentations to launch new products, cultivated a powerful and impeccable brand image, and nurtured secrecy. His rigid leadership, combined to an innate sense of innovation, led him to helm one of the most powerful and successful companies ever.

The aspects of Steve Jobs’s work I wish to celebrate, because I think they are relevant to Defiant Imagination’s mission, are his incredible perseverance in trusting what I think was his gut feeling and believing in his ideas, his belief that excellent design was an essential part of the product’s usability and his insistence in delivering good design to the masses. I think Jobs ultimately respected his customers and believed they deserved no less than the best. I don’t agree with all of Apple’s positions, but this is not the point. I’ve been a user of Apple products for many years and I just wished to celebrate Steve Jobs for being responsible for the tools I use to work and entertain myself everyday.

I found this interesting infographics today (click to enlarge):

“Since 1999, Ideas that Matter has funded over 500 nonprofit projects, contributing $11 million worldwide to causes that enhance our lives, our communities and our planet. Sappi believes that the creative ideas of designers can have an impact beyond the aesthetic and that those ideas can be a powerful force for social good. Working together with our customers, we aim to make a difference.”

The deadline for this year’s contest is July 15th. More info on the program’s website: http://www.na.sappi.com/ideasthatmatterNA

Our big focus is on doing more with less — which is why we’ve shifted from six issues a year to being a quarterly, as well as using a more strategic distribution system (fewer newsstands mean less waste) and seriously increasing the amount of content online.

Now, I appreciate Good magazine’s effort to reduce their impact on the environment, but I can’t help but thinking that the reason behind these changes is in fact economical. C’mon, “fewer newsstands mean less waste?” And how much money are you going to save by doing this?

The first and second prizes were awarded to collaboration-oriented projects: the Napkin PC targets creative professionals who need a way to share their ideas, while WITHUS acts as a tool of socialization for preschool kids.

I love all these ideas, but wouldn’t they be better used with a Linux OS?

And singer/producer Pharell Williams designed his first chair in collaboration with French designers Domeau & Pérès. Named “Perspective,” the glossy chair distinguishes itself by its legs, which represent a pair of a man’s leg behind a pair of a woman’s, suggesting a sexual act. The chair, available in four colors, will be exposed and sold in a Parisian gallery (Emmanuel Perrotin) from October 21, 2008 to January 10, 2009. (Source: Men’s Up.)

On Design Can Change’s website, designers can get information on how to adopt more environment-friendly practices, sign a pledge for a sustainable design, and get involved in a community of designers sharing the same preoccupations.

In the same Life Style section, The Globe explains why it’s better to repair old fashion and furniture items instead of replacing them and gives tips on how to do it. You save money, don’t hurt the environment and perfect your vintage style. Then again, the Globe’s advices would be so much more credible if they didn’t keep on giving advice on shopping, a.k.a. buying new and yet unused things, in the rest of the section.

A new showroom in Paris specializes in contemporary furniture made out of recycled materials. Their goal is to associate luxury with ecology. If you speak French you can read this article to know more about Acabas.