In an enormous shock to the world of Apple, information breaking this week means that Apple isn’t planning to exchange its outgoing VP of commercial design, Evans Hankey, when she leaves later this 12 months.
In line with Bloomberg’s (opens in new tab) Mark Gurman, Apple “has determined in opposition to naming a brand new govt to exchange its departing high product designer, marking a stark shift for a corporation lengthy celebrated for the appear and feel of its gadgets.”
Evans Hankey, the successor to Apple’s design legend Jony Ive, is leaving the corporate later this 12 months. However slightly than exchange Hankey, it appears Apple has opted to as an alternative have its group of about 20 industrial designers report back to Apple’s chief working officer, Jeff Williams.
The tip of an period?
Gurman says that Apple’s design crew has misplaced loads of key members, and that linking “Apple’s operations group extra carefully with design” has “irked a few of Apple’s artistic staffers.” It is potential the transfer away from a artistic function to designers reporting to the COO may influence the soul and artwork of Apple’s merchandise, with design choices being made primarily based on the fee, manufacturing, and manufacturing slightly than the pure mix of artwork and performance Apple has beforehand been identified for.
With Tim Prepare dinner on the wheel, we have already seen Apple transferring away from its unique remit as an organization transfixed on inspirational design and consumer expertise in direction of a well-oiled industrial monolith centered on rising service revenues, provide chain logistics, and arguably fairly messy product lineups. Whereas the departure of Hankey and this subsequent choice will not influence Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15, anticipated to be the finest iPhone to this point, may we see a future the place Apple continues to make design choices primarily based on enterprise slightly than inventive worth and the consumer expertise? It will be an actual disgrace if we did.
