Last Thursday, Apple announced that Sir Jony Ive will depart the company as an employee later this year to form an independent design company which will count Apple among its primary clients. While he pursues personal projects, Ive in his new company will continue to work closely and on a range of projects with Apple.
My initial reaction was positive, I certainly didn’t see it coming any time soon but a sense of inevitability hit me upon reading the news. I was also happy for Jony himself, as starting his own design firm must be somewhat of a lifelong dream for him. The final thought to cross my mind was worry-free, as I could only envision this as a good thing for all parties involved, and I didn’t get a sense of doom like I did when Steve Jobs passed away.
Almost a week on, I’ve had time to think, discuss with friends, and read the various reports that have come out concerning the nature of Jony’s departure, and here are my views on his exit:
Jony’s new company is called LoveFrom. I’ve always loved the work Jony has done over the years outside of Apple, from Christmas trees to diamond rings, he’s a very talented man and I’m very excited to see what will come out of his new venture.
Both Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal this week have reported on how Jony has been on the sidelines since 2014, after putting all his energy into developing the original Apple Watch. I find this believable, as I remember from the time that he was very present for interviews etc. regarding the Series 0, and since then he had effectively left product design behind to work on Apple Park. The reports also speculate that Jony was becoming increasingly frustrated with Tim Cook’s way of running Apple, as he had become far too focused on numbers rather than caring about design. Personally, I have always seen Cook as someone who is clearly operations-focused, yet passionate about the company he is in charge of. I don’t think any executive at Apple doesn’t care about product design - that’s why they’re at Apple. I would take these reports with a pinch of salt and I like to think this Cook vs. Ive spin isn’t the full story.
Ive’s departure truly marks the end of the ‘Jobs-post-Jobs’ era, as the two were jointly responsible for resurrecting Apple in the early-2000’s. This makes it a very defining moment for Tim Cook, as it is truly *his* Apple now. However, it is not entirely his show now as far as the end product is concerned - design team leaders Evans Hankey, vice president of Industrial Design, and Alan Dye, vice president of Human Interface Design, will report to Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. This week, it has seemed more than ever, that Williams is being lined up to be the next CEO of Apple. Cook’s stock options mature in 2021, and whilst I’m sure the door is open to Cook continuing on as CEO past this date, I reckon he might have started to hint, at least on the inside, that he will only spend 10 years in the top job. I don’t think his departure from Apple is imminent, but I do very much feel as if we have now entered the final act of the Tim Cook era.
I don’t think Jony’s departure will have a tangible effect for a while. There are many products already in development at the company which have seen Ive’s influence. Design at Apple is also in safe hands; both Dye and Hankey have played key leadership roles on Apple’s design team for many years. Jeff Williams is a ‘products guy’ and has led the development of Apple Watch since its inception and will spend more of his time working with the design team in their studio. I truly hope this internal shift will usher in a new, more colourful (please) era for Apple, whilst maintaining the high design standards we’ve come to expect.
John Gruber wrote an excellent piece on the matter, although I disagree with his belief that Jony is, in reality, out of the door. He argues that the promise of Ive keeping Apple on as a primary client was to soften the blow. To quote Lex MacEoghain; sure, most people are either in or out of Apple, but most people aren’t Jony Ive. I’m positive Jony will keep a close eye on their new approach and his presence will be felt for many years to come: a 27-year-long influence at a company doesn’t just end overnight.
I think it's for the best in many ways, Ive has been at Apple for a long, long time. He gave everything he could to the products we care about and then some. He’s leaving Apple in safe hands, after unifying design teams in a single office he created within Apple Park. Nothing lasts forever, and it’s time for a new designer to add his or her take on these incredible products I love so much.
:))