Apple, synonymous with innovation and design excellence, is bringing changes to its industrial design team. In recent years, the company has been grappling with leadership changes and a mass exodus of key designers.
The departure of Jony Ive, the visionary behind Apple’s iconic product aesthetics, in 2019 marked the beginning of a turbulent period for the design department. His successor, Evans Hankey, also left the company in 2022, followed by a large portion of the design team.
To fill the leadership void, Apple placed the entire design team under the purview of Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams. But the company has recently made changes, appointing veteran Molly Anderson as the head of industrial design. Even though Anderson now oversees the majority of designers, she does not hold the same level of authority as her predecessors.
These days, Apple’s design team is mostly made up of fresh blood — a younger generation of staffers who didn’t study under the tutelage of Ive and Steve Jobs.
– Mark Gurman
As Apple navigates this period of transition, industry observers will monitor closely to see how the company’s design aesthetic evolves and whether it can maintain its reputation for innovation and product excellence.
With all this being said, Only Apple can go through a rough patch. As the most valuable company in the world, Apple is behind in the AI race, has historically low sales in China, and has Vision Pro sales performing below par. It looks like the tough times won’t be ending anytime soon for Apple.