Jesper Ståhl
From drumsticks to sketch pens
A conversation with the designer who refines our products every year.
Published
Thursday, 10 September 2026
We sat down with Jesper Ståhl, award-winning designer, at his studio in Jönköping, his creative space and, as he puts it, his happy place. Jesper has designed and developed our Thin Case, Bold Case and Slice Case, as well as our Bold Luggage. He takes the cases apart again with each new iPhone. He shares his thoughts on questioning every design, every year, on the drumsticks he swapped for sketch pens, and on why life outside the studio matters as much as the work.
Watch the conversation
"Every year Apple refines its design, and so do we. We question everything, every year. We have to follow Apple closely, because everything needs to be ready two and a half months before launch. That's when we find out whether the design decisions we made to fit the phone were the right ones."
Thin Case was the first project we developed together.
"It's about taking away clutter … It comes down to two things: perfect fit, and being thin and minimalistic."
Bold Case was the next generation, and it went the other way.
"We wanted to go in absolutely the other direction … a thicker, bolder, three-dimensional object, with a texture of ribbed lines that aren't perfectly aligned."
The lines are not evenly spaced, and that is deliberate. It is what makes the design come alive, and what makes it tactile in the hand.
"To be a great designer … you have to focus on life, family, friends, inspiration and expression."
