What’s been happening with Apple’s design team?
Let’s be honest, things have felt a bit messy in Apple’s design department for a while. According to the latest “Power On” newsletter from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the departure of design chief Jony Ive in 2019 triggered a mass exodus of veteran talent from both the hardware and software teams. Even Ive’s own successor only lasted three years.This has left the group staffed by newcomers and a few remaining senior leaders. The situation is changing even further with the retirement of COO Jeff Williams, who has overseen design for the past few years. Now, the new design heads will report directly to Tim Cook, who is expected to be more hands-off. For many users, this turmoil has been reflected in the products, with designs that have felt beautiful but perhaps a bit too safe and iterative in recent years.
Why this signals a major shift for the company
Jony Ive and Tim Cook at the September 2018 launch of iPhone XR. | Image credit — Apple
For a long time, Apple’s design, especially under Ive, was defined by a relentless pursuit of thinness and minimalism. This sometimes came at the cost of practical features like battery life, port selection, or durability. But Gurman reports that this era is officially over. The new focus is a return to Steve Jobs’ core belief: “Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works.”
We’re already seeing this with the latest iPhones, except for the iPhone Air, which embrace being slightly thicker and heavier to accommodate better cameras and bigger batteries. This is a huge philosophical pivot. By putting function first on its Pro models, and judging by how well they seem to be selling, Apple is finally acknowledging that its most demanding users want performance — not just polish.
This is the best news out of Apple in years
I’m going to say it: this is a fantastic development. Apple returning to the basics feels less like a savvy marketing reset and more like a necessary course correction. A new generation of designers, free from the immense shadow of their famous predecessor, can now build products that better serve the people actually using them every day. While the iconic design videos of the past were cool, a future where my Apple gear is more durable, functional, and reliable is infinitely more exciting.
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