Apple's product design has improved since Jony Ive left, as it seems to be putting the emphasis back on function over form and is less obsessed with thinness
At one time, even broaching the idea would have been sacrilegious. But here goes: might Apple Inc.'s product design have improved since the departure of Jony Ive?
BloombergAlex Webb
Context & Ripple Effects
When Jony Ive left in 2019, coverage framed it as the end of an era: he had already been shedding day-to-day oversight since the 2015 Watch launch, coming into HQ twice a week, and Apple had begun planning for his exit once software and services overtook hardware in strategic importance. No successor was named to his chief design officer title, with commentary arguing Apple should stop being seen as the singular expression of one person.
First-order effects
Apple's design authority is now distributed across the team rather than concentrated in a CDO, and the visible result per Bloomberg is products judged by function rather than thinness — a reversal of the form-first priorities associated with Ive's tenure.
Second-order effects
The departure logic holds up: analysts had argued it was the right time precisely because Apple was becoming less hardware-centric, with COO Jeff Williams positioned as the new "product guy" — meaning design now answers to an operations-minded leadership structure rather than a studio.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, the industry template of the visionary designer-auteur whose taste defines a company gives way to distributed product organizations — a shift The Verge's coverage flagged when it declared the era of the singular genius at Apple over, and one other hardware makers will read as permission to do the same.
The trend: Apple is completing its transition from auteur-driven industrial design to distributed, function-first product development that serves its services-weighted strategy.
@atbwebb The design itself? No. it's suffered. However the functionality of it has improved. Those feet would never fly with Ive. It's heavier and thicker than ever. Also not a Jony trait. Not improved — just become more logical & functional.
@MacRumors @rsgnl I feel like under Steve Jobs and Jony Ive Apple massively prioritised form over function, whilst today they're massively prioritising function over form. I really wish they'd figure out a way to achieve both.
https://www.bloomberg.com/... Not sure what's worse, assuming Ive was responsible for all decisions in such huge design department or the writer not knowing that probably, Ive, was still part of the team who designed todays and to come Apple products?
I am a firm believer in Function over Form. Yes, it is nice when things look great, but even better when they FUNCTION and have better durability. I would not have switched to MAC if they hadn't added in more ports over the last M1 Macbook. I ♥️ my IPhone! https://www.bloomberg.c…
@sdw Also how people think these designs come from *one* person and not a team of people working together. Its pretty disrespectful to the Apple Design Team.
It takes over a year to design, build and ship *software*. These are real, physical products. Apple's design team isn't working on the iPhone 14 today, they're designing the iPhones to be released years from now.
And perhaps with this article, we can put to rest the idea that one male leader can take credit for Apple's designs. It's been a team of brilliant people for a long time. I hope that with Ive's departure and Steve's passing that's never normalized again.
Saw this make the rounds: “Apple's Product Design Has Improved Since Ive Left” I'm blown away that people have no idea how long it takes to actually design & build a product. Do people think the MacBook was designed this year? Ive left less than *two years ago*. Bad clickbait. ht…