Apple Designer(s)?

[MBX]

Ever since Jony Ive left Apple there’s nobody in the leadership Team representing Apple industrial design: https://www.apple.com/leadership

What do we know about the design lead designer or team?

 

[LeeW]

I thought it was Jeff Williams.

 

[-DMN-]

I thought it was Jeff Williams.

Exactly, Apple confirmed that chief operating officer Jeff Williams is set to oversee many of the product design responsibilities previously held by Ive. -----> background-ive-successor-jeff-williams

 

[satchmo]

All I know is that the recent rumours seem to point towards a more pragmatic approach to product design.

While still keeping a minimalist design aesthetic, there isn't this utter fixation on removing every port and making everything razor thin. There seems to be an understanding that engineering and usability shouldn't suffer at the expense of looks. The new round of redesigned Macs should signal the direction they're taking.

 

[grandM]

All I know is that the recent rumours seem to point towards a more pragmatic approach to product design.

While still keeping a minimalist design aesthetic, there isn't this utter fixation on removing every port and making everything razor thin. There seems to be an understanding that engineering and usability shouldn't suffer at the expense of looks. The new round of redesigned Macs should signal the direction they're taking.

So basically what made apple different

 

[Falhófnir]

All I know is that the recent rumours seem to point towards a more pragmatic approach to product design.

While still keeping a minimalist design aesthetic, there isn't this utter fixation on removing every port and making everything razor thin. There seems to be an understanding that engineering and usability shouldn't suffer at the expense of looks. The new round of redesigned Macs should signal the direction they're taking.

I think it’s safe to say an element of this is needed, but I also think it would be all too easy to go too far the other way and lose the drive to make well designed packages that don’t look like they were designed by a committee of engineers. As much as Windows computers have improved, even the best still lack the artful attention to detail that defines MacBooks (I realise with the latter I sound like an Apple marketing executive but it’s true frankly!)

 

[bluespark]

Jony Ive was perfect for Apple as long as his instincts were counterbalanced by Steve Jobs' consumer-focused intuition (which on occasion resulted in the reworking of a rather severe Ive design into something friendlier and more useful). Once Ive started running the design show without that pushback, Apple's efforts became more hit-and-miss: the incredibly good Apple Watch design on one hand; some arguably functionality-compromised computer efforts on the other hand.

In my opinion, Apple needs a chief designer who is as talented and opinionated as Ive, but it also needs that strong counterbalance, which we have to hope Jeff Williams can provide.

 

[satchmo]

Jony Ive was perfect for Apple as long as his instincts were counterbalanced by Steve Jobs' consumer-focused intuition (which on occasion resulted in the reworking of a rather severe Ive design into something friendlier and more useful). Once Ive started running the design show without that pushback, Apple's efforts became more hit-and-miss: the incredibly good Apple Watch design on one hand; some arguably functionality-compromised computer efforts on the other hand.

In my opinion, Apple needs a chief designer who is as talented and opinionated as Ive, but it also needs that strong counterbalance, which we have to hope Jeff Williams can provide.

I think it’s safe to say an element of this is needed, but I also think it would be all too easy to go too far the other way and lose the drive to make well designed packages that don’t look like they were designed by a committee of engineers. As much as Windows computers have improved, even the best still lack the artful attention to detail that defines MacBooks (I realise with the latter I sound like an Apple marketing executive but it’s true frankly!)

I agree. As I said, the pendulum is swinging to a more balanced equation of design and engineering.
And while we no longer have Ive, I'm certain there are senior industrial designers at Apple who now get a chance to lead. And Jeff Williams engineering background should keep them in check.

I'm hopeful for hardware moving forward. We'll see in the coming months if things have changed. Maybe starting with better buttons on Apple TV remote, to more i/o on MacBook Pros.

 

[bluespark]

I agree. As I said, the pendulum is swinging to a more balanced equation of design and engineering.
And while we no longer have Ive, I'm certain there are senior industrial designers at Apple who now get a chance to lead. And Jeff Williams engineering background should keep them in check.

I'm hopeful for hardware moving forward. We'll see in the coming months if things have changed. Maybe starting with better buttons on Apple TV remote, to more i/o on MacBook Pros.

The Apple TV remote is a much better example than mine of Ive's misses. It is simply awful design from a usability perspective, even though it does a couple of things very well. It could have been workshopped into something everyone would love -- it just wasn't.

 

[Abazigal]

The Apple TV remote is a much better example than mine of Ive's misses. It is simply awful design from a usability perspective, even though it does a couple of things very well. It could have been workshopped into something everyone would love -- it just wasn't.

I actually like the Apple TV remote. As a teacher, I also like that it’s thin and slim and I can just chuck it into my accessories bag when it’s time to pack up and go.

I may be an outlier, but I find I do prefer Apple product designs being as “extreme” as they are. Maybe it’s this sort of opinionated design which drew me to them in the first place.

 

[satchmo]

I actually like the Apple TV remote. As a teacher, I also like that it’s thin and slim and I can just chuck it into my accessories bag when it’s time to pack up and go.

I may be an outlier, but I find I do prefer Apple product designs being as “extreme” as they are. Maybe it’s this sort of opinionated design which drew me to them in the first place.

I think we all have personal preferences and often get accustomed to a product despite it’s short-comings. I’m one of the few who didn’t mind the round hockey puck mouse. It was small and easy to move just with my finger tips.

But Apple’s past extreme designs while polarizing, always served a purpose. For example, the articulating arm on the iMac G4 that allowed the LCD monitor to swivel in any direction.

Frankly, my issue is mechanical parts vs solid state. The move away from physical buttons and controls seemed to be a fashionable thing to do...even if it was sometimes unwarranted and at the expense of user experience.
Perhaps it’s financial decision (I’m sure there are numbers showing failure rates comparing physical buttons to touch-sensitive surfaces)