The first iMac was designed by Jonathan Ive in 1998. At that time he had been working for Apple for six years and had become Vice President of the industrial design section.

Jonathan Ive was born in London in 1967, the son of a silversmith. He studied industrial design at Northumbria university and got married while still a student. He was interested in Apple products even in his student days and started working for them in 1992.

Ive follows the principles of good design set down by Dieter Rams, the designer for Braun, trying to make all his products useful, elegant, innovative, environmentally friendly etc. As well as the iMac Ive has been responsible for many other Apple products and won several design awards.

The late Steve Jobs once said that Jonathan Ive had more power than anyone in the company except Jobs himself. You can learn more about Ive here.