Multiple reports describe a decline in the influence of Apple’s industrial design team in the years after Jony Ive’s departure and during the Cook-era shift toward finance and operations driving product direction. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is cited across outlets as saying the design group no longer holds a true seat at Apple’s executive table and has less credibility and impact than in decades, effectively operating more like a service bureau for other teams. The Next Web and 9to5Mac both frame this as the result of both organizational changes and personnel departures tied to Ive’s exit.
9to5Mac adds that Gurman expects incoming CEO John Ternus to change the relationship between design and other executive functions when he takes over. AppleInsider similarly reports that Ternus has emphasized focusing on Apple’s “core strength of design” and says he plans to continue working on the company’s overall design philosophy. AppleInsider also relays that Ternus told staff Apple will keep “focusing on design,” describing it as core to how the company operates. The reports do not specify the exact organizational steps Ternus will take, but they consistently describe an intent to restore design’s importance at the leadership level.
