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Apple's Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson go in-depth on (RED) auction pieces

Apple's Mac Pro in red as seen at Sotheby's upcoming (RED) auction.

In an in-depth interview with Charlie Rose, Apple's Ive and design superstar Newson riff on what makes good design so challenging, and why they chose the items up for bid in the pair's (RED) charity auction.


The Charlie Rose Show interview, which airs tonight, digs deep into Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive and designer Marc Newson's thoughts about the upcoming charity auction. The full interview is now online.

As with a teaser made for the Sotheby's auction, Ive and Newson explained the beauty of simplicity. They both agree that great design melts away, making the designers of the best pieces difficult to distinguish.

The collection Ive and Newson curated are all things they would want to bid on, Ive said. Each item is a tool of some kind, not an end in itself, which to Ive is the highest form of design.

Earlier this week, AppleInsider was able to take a "hands-off" look at the collection.

While most of the 44 pieces are donated, Ive and Newson collaborated on a few of their own designs, including an aluminum desk, a Leica digital camera and Apple's new Mac Pro. Other items have been customized with flourishes of red, such as a Range Rover, a window from the Space Shuttle sitting in a bespoke stand, and an Hermes saddle, among others.

Bidding for "Jony and Marc's (RED) Auction" begins on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Sotheby's New York. Proceeds will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.