How Apple Product Design Has Improved Since Jony Ive Left
Apple is famous for its high quality designs, and its products have certainly improved since Jony Ive left the company. However, the former design chief has not been with the company since 2015. His departure has caused a major shift in the company’s philosophy, and while the design team is still responsible for creating the products, the focus has shifted to function.
Jony Ive joined Apple as a design consultant in 1992. After Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997, he promoted Ive to senior vice president of Industrial Design. As the designer in charge of the iPod and other Apple products, he prioritized aesthetics over practicality. He also designed the iMac and the iPhone.
Jonathan Ive worked closely with Steve Jobs to develop innovative designs for his products. This included the first iPad, the iPhone, the iPod Shuffle, and the Apple Watch. Many of his designs were colorful and playful. They were often infused with translucent details. The iPod was a revolution in music technology.
When Jony Ive left Apple in 2013, it was feared that his design style would change. Some argued that he pushed Apple’s designs too far, and was more interested in aesthetics than function. While this may be true, the newer Macbook Pro line shows a clear shift away from Ive’s style.
One reason for the shift is that Apple is more likely to listen to customer feedback. Since Ive’s departure, Apple has been more open to making changes based on user concerns. For example, the new Apple TV remote has a power button and a mute button, and the Siri Remote has been redesigned to be more intuitive.
Despite these changes, there’s no doubt that Jony Ive’s fingerprints are all over iconic Apple devices. Even with his absence, the design team has continued to use fun and colorful design in various products.
In October, Bloomberg published an article arguing that Apple has made a huge shift in its product design since Ive’s departure. In the article, Alex Webb notes that the company has returned to a focus on function.
According to the author of the article, the company is taking a more democratic approach to design authorship. Instead of having the company’s designers work on massive, complex projects, the designers are given a simple remit: to make a product that people want.
With the help of designers like Evans Hankey, Apple’s industrial design department has been able to make a number of changes over the years. The company now has a female VP of Industrial Design. Previously, the role was held by an older, male design chief.
Now, a new team is responsible for the design of Apple’s hardware. Jeff Williams is the company’s chief operating officer, and he oversees the design team. Alan Dye is the VP of human interface design. Together, they’ve helped to bring a modern, minimalist design philosophy to Apple.
Apple’s products are not only great looking, they’re built with user experience in mind. This is why Apple has been able to create products that sell as hotcakes.